You're glitter but you aint' gold Daryl Dixon
by Glitteraintgold
Summary: This happens after season three. Daryl fights for those around him but he cannot fight for himself until he meets Amelia, a wandering soul seeking vengeance for what the world owes her. O/C
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first even The Walking Dead fan fiction and the first time I have ever posted on this website. I am new so please be nice but I would love any constructive criticism. I have alot of ideas and I'm just warming up :) If anyone has any questions then feel free to message me! I'm always happy to talk to people about The Walking Dead haha.**

Daryl Dixon- The fight begins

_He'll never forget that night. It was humid and his shirt stuck to him uncomfortably. He had been hunting, trying to ignore the impending doom on the earth when he herd his very first, guttural scream._

_His fathers scream. Merles hands covered in blood. Two rucksacks packed and prepared by the door._

_Brotherly love._

–

The enemy was so close, the smell of their rotting flesh hiding within every corner of the little shack but she had to keep calm. A deep breath and it would all be over by the time she exhaled. It was easy keeping an eye on their clawing hands, sharp teeth and oozing, rotting flesh but it was harder to watch their unpredictability.

Dropping her back she turned, her right leg swinging around with enough energy to high kick a walker down. Pouncing she punched her knife into it's decaying flesh. This attracted more walkers, there hunger spurred them on making them seem invincible to her touch. Bouncing back up she slipped her hand to the back of her jeans and within a slight movement an elderly woman with a swinging jaw covered in blood lay on the bare floor boards, a pocket knife in her skull. Executing these mother fuckers was easy. An unsettled grief and anger within her led her closer and closer to escaping.

The last walker fell forwards, it's open jaw hitting the table with a loud crack. Silence at last. The groans of walkers would stay with you for days if you let it, haunting your every move until paranoia made it almost impossible to survive. Wiping her knife on her trouser leg she stepped out of the little shack and looked around.

Silence. It hurt so much. Her fallen had been taken a long time ago and now she wandered aimlessly, dangerously fighting for control back in her tarnished life. Amelia Princely was a force to be reckoned with but also her own worst enemy.

–

Night began to settle over the prison bringing an unwanted friend, the bitter cold. The whole camp of people where still trying to adjust to it's newest members and one person found it especially difficult. Daryl Dixon was skulking on top of an over turned bus, keeping a close watch on the outside.

"I fuckin' told ya I don't want no fuckin' water' Daryl grunted as he watched Carol, a short silver haired lady approach from his right side. Shifting his gun he turned to face her fully, looking at her briefly then back to the out skirts of the prison.

"And I told you to take some out with you, you can't be up here all night getting yourself all dehydrated' and she placed it gently next to his feet. Carol was a warm, inviting person and she saw right through Daryl Dixon. As Daryl grunted she idly noted that his clothes needed scrubbing and his hair trimming, it was almost covering his eyes. Carol liked that he was the manliest of men and that he wasn't afraid to get dirty but it didn't mean he couldn't have a good wash every now and then.

"Anything exciting happening out there?" she asked with a bemused smile, ignoring his scowl.

He shook his head, not wanting to have a conversation in fear he might snap at her and he had done that a lot lately. Throwing the death of Sophia in her face and almost wanting to place the blame on her about losing T-Dog. Daryl didn't really blame her but she got under every one of his damn nerves. Woman liked to test him.

"About as exciting as this conversation" he snapped before shifting his gaze back down to the rifle scope he had been occupying all night.

"Well..."she sighed and he hated that damn sigh, it made him feel bad, for speaking his damn mind. "I have other things to do, night" and he could hear the hurt. Turning slightly to apologise his leg kicked the container of water and it splashed into her face. He wasn't even shocked, it was oddly satisfying watching the shock and anger on her face. He wasn't the only one frustrated.

Carol stormed off before he could even say anything.

Daryl sat there for a minute longer, watching the water drip from the bus and onto to ground. A flash back of Merle, his older brother staring at him from across the way with dark blood dripping from his chin. Daryl resisted the boiling rage turned back onto his stomach and focused on watching the walkers. He didn't care if Carol never spoke to him again, he deserved it.

–

The sun woke Amelia with a start and she reached for her knife, a long jagged weapon that could gut a man within five seconds and jumped from the tiny cave. She was safe. Last night had been particularly bad for her, walkers had been passing by through the area non-stop, their groans haunting her scrambled sleep. Today was different for her also, her brain felt fuzzy and drained of any energy and her gaze darted all over the place.

Amelia had to move, she had to find a pharmacy in the closest town in hopes that she could sort her problem before it got her killed. That tickled her sadistic bone really, she knew nobody was long for this world and the irony alone could kill her. Picking up her backpack she began her hike into the next town, in hopes of finding a car and peace.

–

It wasn't long until she entered the deserted town, discarding of a few stray walkers as she warily made her way in. This would have been a nice town three years ago, she could imagine family businesses blossoming, settling down, retiring and general life all thriving her. Now all she could smell was putrid flesh and fear. The first spoil of the day was a dark red SUV which held a little fuel and the original keys in the glove box. Amelia's nerves settled, she knew if the town swarmed quickly with starving freaks she could make her get away.

A short distance away lay a food store and a pharmacy, relief spread through Amelia like a warm hug on a cold day until a walker stumbled out of it's broken door. Almost as if the wind had blown in it's direction it caught her scent, honing in on her but she wasn't worried. Strolling up to the rotten freak she began to plan her assault, looking to it's arms she noticed one was missing and almost smiled at how easy it was going to be. Nothing was ever that easy as she heard the soft growl of a car engine.

"Shit" she hissed, quickly planting her knife in the walkers left eye socket, pulling it into the side of the road and then disappearing behind a bin. It took her all of two seconds to press herself into a tiny space of the bin and the wall, listening for the car to stop. Her instincts where right, it stopped just where she stood a minute ago and she heard voices.

"I swear I just saw someone Glenn, stood right here!" she heard a young woman hiss, peering around the bin she noticed a couple, covered in dirt. The young girl she guessed was early twenties and the guy probably a little younger than her. Easy.

"It was probably a walker, just keep an eye out okay?" he grabbed her hand, trying to soothe her discomfort.

Snatching her hand away she hissed "When don't I?' and he shook his head, turned and made his way into the beat up store. Amelia didn't like being in a town longer than she had too and this couple where making everything harder than it had to be.

_Do it, take em' out._

Angrily shoving her knife into her back pocket she began to walk towards the back of the store, in hopes that she could sneak in and sneak out without having to come to blows with this innocent enough couple.

_Trust no one bitch, they'll slit your throat in a heart beat and you'll just let em'._

Amelia had just made it to the back entrance and checked to see if it was walker safe, sighing with relief she pried herself into the large exit. There was only one thing left on her list and she would be damned if she didn't get it, literally.

It was only when she was faced with a dark corridor did her heart beat quicken. You cant face your worst enemy in the dark. It didn't take long for her to recognise the harrowing groans and the dragging of limbs.

Sweat pooled at her palms and her breathing almost stopped as she slowly backed out of the door, her hands shakily reaching out for the handle. As soon as the light hit the room she counted ten walkers, all making their way to her, to dinner. Slipping out quickly and slamming the heavy door she came face to face with another terror.

"I told ya' I saw someone!" the young girl hissed as she pressed a knife to her throat. Their eye's where shaking with fear as they looked her over, as if she had been trying to kill them. Amelia could of responded easily but her brain began to cloud over and the next thing she felt was the back of a rifle assaulting her head.

_Not so easy now._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N- I would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone that has followed/favourited and read this story. I appreciate that so much. Just to let you know I will be publishing a chapter every day, or aiming to do so and they will be pretty lengthy. If anyone has any questions of constructive criticism again I would like to hear from you.**

**Oh and there will be some more Daryl scenes soon. I'm just trying to work out how to write him properly and to a good standard for all you hard core Daryl fans. I really hope you like Amelia too. Thanks!**

Game over-Ricks understanding

Amelia was encased in a deep blackness. At first she thought it was a dream, she often dreamt of blackness because of a lack of hope she had always harbored but this was different. The ground below her jutted, her body going with the bumps, her teeth chattering. Quickly she realized she was in the boot of a car and groaned. The couple from the store must have tied her up and took her. A quick memory of a knife to her throat enraged her. The rope around her wrists was good but not good enough.

Wiggling and expertly twisting her thin wrists to find a weakness as she noted the car slowing down. They were close. It would take her all of two seconds to pop out of the boot, taking the guy out first with one swift punch to his collar bone and another second to take his girlfriend out. Nerves really did mess up the dynamics of her skills.

The car stopped and she exhaled. Pushing her feet against the interior of the boot she readied herself. There was suddenly five voices and only one was female, this wasn't good and this wasn't fair. Panic swelled in Amelia's chest. It was easier to kill a group of walkers than human beings, just because the walkers where less likely to shoot her in the head.

"We're sorry Rick but she was just there! We panicked. Maggie saw her watching us and we followed her to the back of the store-she-she..."

Amelia hissed as her foot caught a sharp object. They had taken her boots. Fuckin' idiots.

"Calm down Glenn, explain slowly why-"

"No time for that now Rick" and the boot was pried open.

Amelia's heart sank as eight guys peered down at her, a look of disgust and anger on all of their faces. The young girl that had held the knife to her neck only an hour before crossed her arms.

Their leader, only because she had a trained eye for these things was a disheveled kind of man, sporting a sheriffs uniform and a messily kept beard. His eye's where strained with worry but his jaw was kept tight with anger.

The only way to make it out of this situation alive was to get out of the boot, to assess her surroundings and the people eager to cause her harm. A misunderstanding had caused these frightened people to think of her as the enemy, in the same league as the walkers. Oh how time had changed. There was no society, no rules and it was every man for himself.

Their leader, who she assumed was called Rick took one look to the man to his right, a man with hair infront of his eyes and a large cross bow pointing right at her forehead. This was it. Eye closed. Calm. Collected. Like a real soldier would.

Instead it was Rick who knocked her back out.

_Strike two and you're so close to being out._

–

The whole prison was in uproar over their new guest. Nobody wanted her there, all frightened for the little haven that they had only just recently created. Everyone slept soundly under Ricks reign knowing now that he was a man of his word but this new guest was stamping all over their pretty parade. Rick had promised that in order for all of them to get on and to strive to some sort of stability that these problems wouldn't occur. The women where the angriest, frightened for their kin and themselves so they resorted to slamming the men's decision to lock her in the cell block whereas the men where all sat around a round table, heads down with fury trying to figure out how to sort their 'little' problem quickly.

"You gotta' think rationally Rick. This aint' how it was on the farm. People are depending on us to keep em' safe" Daryl grunted, placing his crossbow to his side.

Rick pushed his hair back and placed his hand on to the table. Glenn had brought a whole lot of trouble to them, knowing that this woman could be a member of a group close by. Another Woodbury situation would smash all hopes of the original group members having any sort of normality.

"What am I supposed to do Daryl? I can't kill the girl, we don't even know if she was out of a group...or a spy!" he spat back, looking around the table for some answers.

Glenn spoke up quickly, leaning over the table "Rick the girl was in front of us one minute an the next she's coming into the back of the store, like she was preparing to take us out. If Maggie hadn't of seen her we might not have come back!"

"The girl doesn't even weight half of me Glenn, you can't make that decision based on an assumption" Hershel chided, looking at his daughter in hopes she would speak out about this young girls future. Hershel had seen her being dragged in roughly by all the men and feared that their last traces of a past society had gone. The girl looked innocent enough to him and he wasn't going to rest until he saw the threat himself.

"I'm with Daryl man, she has got to go either way she can't stay here" Tyreese nodded his agreement but couldn't quite reach Ricks line of eye sight.

There was a few nods and mumbled agreements but that didn't sit well with Rick. After the death of Lori, doing good now was all that mattered. He wanted to know his daughter and son where being brought up in a world that, yes at times was dark and soul destroying but he was able to bring the light to the cave. In memory of all the good Lori had brought to Ricks life he was going to damn well try.

"We **will **talk to this woman and we will find out what she wants-" disgruntled men began to raise their voices in protest "But if I feel that she is a threat I will put her down myself. Are we clear?"

"Whatever you say man"

–

Handcuffs were her thing. Not everyone knew that there was one small weakness in the brackets of handcuffs, this was put in place by the army incase any America soldier needed to escape the handcuffs it's own country had made. A government secret. Funny how after the world went to shit this stuff still came in handy.

Amelia, she assumed had been left alone in a cell with it's door wide open but her right wrist attached to the metal bed. The taste of blood swarmed her parched mouth as she twisted up, ignoring the hum of conversation close by. It would take her a second to get out of the cuffs but she had to do it as quietly as possible. The risk of being caught could sign her own death warrant. Amelia didn't want to know why they where holding her hostage she just needed to get out. The cuffs where off but the deep red marks around her wrists would not fade for days. If she could take the fucker out that placed them on her before she left she definitely would.

Amelia looked around for any sign of her boots but saw nothing but a bare cell with a blanket in the corner. It didn't matter she would just have to run without. As she warily began to walk towards the cell door she inwardly groaned when she realized her backpack had gone too.

This was going to be more difficult. Knowing she wouldn't leave without it she stopped being quiet. If this camp wanted a fight they where going to get it. Nobody touched her stuff, nobody. In the whole world all she cared about was the contents of her backpack.

_Clever. Get yourself killed without even a care for me? Tut-tut._

Amelia made her way out of the block and knew company wasn't far away, she could hear they deep voices rumbling through the echoing space. It was only when she came to a small balcony that overhung a large space did she spot the people below her going through her backpack.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you" she hissed.

–

Amelia prided herself in that very moment as she watched every man in that place scramble to protect themselves and their precious camp. Oh how funny that these men thought that they where stronger than her but couldn't even keep her under lock and key.

"You see the last man that touched my things ended up watching his fingers burn" and she began stepping down the stairs to meet them. Ignoring all of their weapons and looking directly into their leader, Ricks eye's, she smirked. "Give that to me"

A mid thirties guy who weighed in twice as much as her with dark skin and a scowl that would intimidate most intercepted her but she was quicker. Slamming her knee into the weak spot in his right leg which she quickly calculated was most probably a sport injury. Twisting she slammed her elbow down into the curve of his spine, he fell face first into the ground with a splutter. You see it doesn't matter about the physical strength of an enemy because everyone has a weakness to play with. Amelia moved to the right to let the guy know with the crossbow that she would take him down next if he came for her.

They all looked to Rick who stared down intently to his fallen comrade. Women behind the men began to cry and scuttle away, in fear that they would have to witness more violence.

"Dad, take her down!" Called a young, angry looking boy with mid length hair and a hat that matched his fathers uniform. "Do it for god sakes"

"Silence Carl!" he hissed back and then turned his direction back to Amelia "Who are you and why are you stalking our camp?"

Amelia snorted, placed her fight foot on the winded guy at her feet, toying with the anger in the room.

"I was not stalking your camp. I was avoiding your camp. It was only when they jumped me did I think about killing them' and she pressed further into the large guys back. He groaned in pain.

"You went to attack them when they where blind. That aint' no coincidence" Rick hissed, taking a step further trying to assess the situation.

"I went to the back to avoid them. Now, if you don't mind I would like my backpack back so I can get on" and she outstretched a hand. This hand was her final slice of patients. They didn't know her or what she could do. They thought that had the upper hand because she was a woman, an innocent looking woman but she was the opposite.

_Ya'know that guy with the cross bow is real eager to put one on ya doll?_

"I don't think so" Rick ground on, pulling a gun from his back pocket. Amelia didn't let it show "Now, you can sit and we can talk or I'll place a bullet in between your eyes and won't even blink'

The situation had been strained enough. Amelia knew that she wouldn't be leaving any time soon, the look In Rick's eyes suggested that he wanted more than just answers from her. The fact that Amelia had seen where they where holed up and how many people there where she knew that they weren't just going to let her be on her way.

"Fuck!" she seethed Rick to sit at their table. There was no point being scared now, death was coming and she was too tired to argue with it.

"Daryl can you clear everyone out? I just want it to be me, Hershel and you" and Daryl, the guy with the cross bow slid his bows back into his back pouch and began commanding the people around him move. Daryl had to take extra care in picking the guy up off the floor and passing him on to the surrounding men. Amelia's lips quirked up a little.

Amelia sat one space away from an old grey haired man with half of a leg missing. Amelia sneered at his kind eyes and turned her attention back to the asses that wouldn't just let her go. How he could look at her with kindness in his eye's got to her. It would be easier to kill all three of them now the room was quiet.

"What is your name? Do not ignore the question. We're not friendly. Understand?"

"I don't have a name, not to you anyway" and she raised an eyebrow at Daryl who ventured for her. Redneck she concluded from just the way he got angry, all of them seemed to be full of the same rage. Like life had never been favorable.

Rick raised his gun to her 'It's Amelia" and she kicked herself, knowing she had given one of the most personal pieces of information about herself away. You can normally tell a lot about a person just by the way they say their name and she knew it had already been shown.

"What camp are you from?" he demanded, lifting his gun higher. A twitch just under his right eye showing.

"None. I travel alone"

"Like fuck' you do" and the redneck was back, his hair slightly falling into his face. His crossbow which he used to shield himself with was back to her.

"My camp was nine other men, soldiers and they died along time ago. I've been on my own since"

Ricks gun lowered only slightly, nobody else noticed it but Amelia did. Amelia noticed everything and she noticed the way a tiny bit of respect flashed through his tired eyes. It always caused her pain when she thought about her old self.

"You're not just a soldier" the old man spoke up, his voice soft and soothing but irritating to an already riled up Amelia "You're a special unit. No female solider is taught the skills that you just performed. Not with that much rage anyway"

"This is bullshit Rick!"

"Hush Daryl. Is this true?"

Amelia looked from all of them, sizing them up and wandering why her past information suddenly became interesting and it dawned on her. It knocked the air out of her lungs. As a soldier you're taught that the only people that matter are those that you fight along side with, until the threat is gone.

"No"


	3. Chapter 3

A full pack of cards and what not.

"How did you exactly get out of those stainless steel cuffs then?" Asked Hershel in what Amelia thought was an amused tone. For an old man he was quick on his toes, a lot quicker than his friends that's for sure.

"How did you lose half of your leg?" she snapped back, causing him to look at Rick for some intervention. In a previous society what she had asked would have been rude but she didn't care. Who were this people to ask her personal questions? They had wrongfully kidnapped her after all and taken her things.

"That's not important Amelia-" and the way Rick said her name had her placing all of her attention on him. It made her feel awkward, for the first time in a long time. "Answer our questions and we can sort this mess out"

"Easy. There is a weak link in every cuff made by this country. You just have to know where to press" Rick nodded thoughtfully, when pushed he realised Amelia would co-operate. Old army mentality he figured. Sitting across from her he placed his gun on the table and looked at Daryl. Daryl grunted and slipped his bow down to the floor. Rick knew Daryl didn't want this woman in the group, ever since he saw the look of distrust when Amelia first reprimanded one of their own. Rick had never seen someone move so fast with such precision, she was something else, she definitely wasn't just your average soldier.

It worried him greatly that he couldn't feel the truth coming from her, he believed what she was saying but he had done that before and it cost them all so greatly. Rick shifted in his seat and stared at her dead on, she reminded him a little of Lori. They both had long dark hair that framed their porcelain skin perfectly but unlike Lori's bright eye's Amelia's was a dull grey, as if life had been drained from her a long time ago.

Amelia didn't like the way she was being stared at by them all because it made her feel nervous. All she wanted was for them to put her out of her misery once and for all, she knew that they just wouldn't let her leave. It didn't work like that anymore. Amelia didn't want to stay either. Her head began to swim with thoughts and pressures that she had momentarily forgotten about.

"I'm going to put this to you, we both know that you won't be able to just walk out of here. We don't know you, I don't know you and I sure as hell aint' putting this camp in the firing line. So you have two options, you either tell us everything or you stay here, with me until you do" and he leaned back, his jaw tight with defiance.

"I have told you everything" she hissed, slamming her first down onto the table. "I do not belong to anyone. I am on my own and I have been for the last year. I do not want to hurt your camp, at all. You either let me go or so be is Rick I'll bring hell down on you all"

"I'll take that as you staying then?" and he stood up, patting Daryl on the back as he did so. "Tie her up this time, put her in the cell next to mine and keep watch until I get back"

Daryl grunted, unhappy that he had to deal with this mess but unhappy that Rick wasn't letting him in on the plan yet. He walked around the table and grabbed Amelia by her arms, he noted her sudden stiffness but squeezed tighter.

Amelia wasn't going to fight him, she knew it would be no good. The guy was a perfect fighter, he was quick and he was efficient. Not so scared of getting his hands dirty. However she also knew that to get around this problem her physical skill wouldn't come in handy.

Amelia felt well and truly screwed over. Weaponless, friendless and mentally weak she let Daryl drag her to the cell she first came out of. Pushing her down with force he began to knot her wrists first.

"Not so tight" she hissed.

"Shut up will ya'? I'm done hearing ya yapping woman" and he tightened the rope just enough to make her wince.

"I know you don't want me here as much as I don't want to be here so why don't you just let me go? I ain't interested in any of you" she tried to reason as his hands slipped quickly to her ankles. This had been the most touching she had in a year and she hated every moment.

"Shut up!" and he leaned up to push her shoulder. Smirking she just watched him finish his knots, admiring his work as he did so. Amelia could see that he had skills of his own, probably why Rick kept him so close.

"You the underdog?" she asked.

"Are you ever going to shut your trap?" and he turned around, slamming the door and parking himself outside of it. Daryl didn't like the way she was already getting under his skin. He knew that if she was a man he would of punched her already. Sighing he began to sharpen his knife.

"You're just making this worse you know. You have it all wrong"

–

Rick stepped out into the blazing sun and looked around to the large group clearing the prison yard up. Was he making all the right calls? Doing everything he could? Making sure everyone was happy? He then spotted Carl, across the yard helping Beth pick up a piece of broken fence and he grimaced; he only wanted what was best for him and the baby, Judith. He had let them down so much already.

"Rick, any news on what we're doing with our little guest?" Carol asked as she walked infront of him. Carol's eye's glittered with tiny bits of worry but he could see that she trusted his judgement again. It hurt.

Rick pushed a hand through his hair "I don't know Carol. I want her to stay, she has everything that this camp needs but we can't just make her. We could have a full pack of cards, truth be known Maggie and Glenn stumbled on something great; for us all"

Carol nodded thoughtfully, not quite grasping why this young woman contributed to a metaphorical set of cards.

"Give her something to stay for then? Gain eachother's trust" and Rick looked down at the woman, who had gone through hell and back with. It was an idea but it wasn't great, it could backfire but Rick was willing to try anything.

"Thanks Carol" he passed her but not before patting her arm. Baby Judith was happily bouncing in Maggies arm when he approached. He leaned down to kiss her chubby face and smiled contently down at her. In this day he was just happy to have a healthy baby, being able to give her that normality inflated rick with love.

"She's been making noises all day!" Maggie cooed down towards her. "Can I take her back in Rick? I don't want her seeing all these walkers"

Rick grabbed little Judiths hands and sighed. He had forgotten about the walkers for a split second, he looked over Maggie's shoulder to see two clawing at the metal fence. Mouths dripping black blood as they pushed and pushed, trying to get their hands on fresh meat. He scowled.

Protection to the highest notch is what this camp needed. It would only take a larger herd to take down the metal fences if they really tried. Rick wanted to make the perimeters tighter, to keep the death from seeping in. There wasn't many men able to do what he and Daryl could do yet and he was worried that this made them weaker.

"Sure. Take her to Carol though. I need to talk to you and Glenn"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N- Hi guys! Thanks so much to those who have read this story. I really freeking appreciate all of you. I feel like I'm slowly getting to where I want to be without rushing it.**

**We have a few more scenes with Daryl and I feel I'm more comfortable with writing this now. I know I've mentioned that the people from Woodbury are in this but lets just say there's only a few. It saves me time writing them all in!**

**Ooh also if you could possibly review ect! That would be fabulous.**

Everyone likes to play dirty

Amelia could tell from Daryl's shadow that the sun was setting and she really didn't like that. One day was far to long, staying in this cage had been enough on her and she was itching for freedom. Amelia knew that to a camp like this she was valuable but she also knew she was dangerous, she didn't deal with people very well and she always let the ones she cared about down in the end.

Sighing she turned onto her side. The dusty bed with raggedy blankets had been the most comfortable place she had slept in over a year but she was too frustrated to appreciate it. As soon as she was placed in the cell, tied up and pushed back onto the bed Amelia knew that these people weren't going to kill her, oh no they were going to do something much worse. Oh, they were going to accept her, make her a valid part of the team and put her to work. Devouring her skills to build a safe place for them, all against her will. The thing is when you push someone up against a wall and block any route of escape, you push back, harder and twice as vicious.

It was only when her lip turned up to snarl did she get the shock of her life. A baby's scream could be heard rattling throughout the eerie prison.

"What the hell?" she softly whispered to herself as she pushed herself up off the bed.

"That ain't none of your business" and she whipped around to look at Daryl. He noted the shock in her eyes and that this emotion was the only one not tainted with anger. "You don't need to be thinkin' about that"

"You have a baby here? How selfish are you people!?" Amelia scathed, trying to wiggle free. A need to do something with her hands grew and she wanted to scream with frustration and along with the baby.

Daryl grunted and turned away from his prisoner. He knew just exactly why Rick was trying so hard to keep her here, he saw the potential in her to keep the whole camp safe with her knowledge. Daryl was the hunter, Rick was the voice of reason and power and she would be the training, the safety and the tactics that they all needed. This being true he still didn't like it, he had seen nothing but anger and distrust in her eyes and the last thing they need is losing another member of their group.

T-dogs death had hit the camp hard, he was tough but he wasn't cut out for the world but he was selfless and saved Carol with his last actions. Would this girl do the same for any of them? Would she put her neck out day in day out just to keep them safe?

So the girl winded a guy and took him down, that didn't make her fucking special or good for the group. Michonne had been twice the woman but she left, telling Rick that she needed to find someone and Rick begrudgingly watched her go. Another strong person leaving his life.

Daryl was ripped from his heated thoughts as he watched Rick climb the stairs, two by two, a smile on his face. It had been a long time since the man had smiled and Daryl wasn't sure what to think about it.

"I've got this now, you go and get some food and I'll meet you for a check of the perimeter in twenty minutes" and just like that Daryl was free to go. He stood up quickly, collecting his knife and bow, as he did so he looked into Amelia's cell and saw a look of wonder and confusion across her features. Amelia shook her head at him, he had ignored her question and he hadn't even been paying attention.

Rick patted him on the back and entered Amelia's cell.

"I've been thinking long and hard about this-"

"Don't strain yourself" she butted in

Rick chose to ignore her snide remark as he took a seat next to her, it made her feel uncomfortable but she refused to sit back.

"You have your rights and I don't want to be the person to take them away so how about we come up with a decision together?"

Amelia raised an eyebrow at his sudden change of heart, her line of work made her question everyone and anything but this was just something else.

"Go on" she drawled, nothing he would be making the proposition.

"You stay with us for two weeks, treated like on of us and if you don't like it then you can go"

The cell filled with silence. Amelia refused to show any emotion on her face as she looked into his eyes, she was trying to decipher exactly what he was saying. There was so much hidden truth in his eyes but she didn't have an options to say no.

"Okay, say I do want to leave in two weeks what's to say you won't shoot me in the back?"

"I guess you're just going to have to trust I wont" and his steely gaze returned.

"You shoot me in the back Rick and it will be the last thing you ever do"

"This a deal?"

"It's a deal"

–

Amelia was freed of her binds when Daryl returned from checking the perimeter and he stood back as she rubbed her wrists and ankles. Looking up from her hair she scowled knowing that Rick had this redneck shadowing her for the safety of his people.

"If the wind changes your face will stick like that"

"Get that joke out of a Christmas cracker?" she retorted, not too happy that he had the cheek to make remarks about his new guest.

_Guest in a prison? That's a joke right there!_

Amelia shook her head slightly and took the first daring step to walk out of the prison. Daryl was right behind her but keeping his distance, she didn't care, all she cared about was being able to stretch her legs.

"You're the one that hit my husband!?" and it had started, the backlash. A young, dark skinned woman rushed up to her, swinging what looked to be a riot baton.

"Yes that was me. Your husband made the first move to attack me so it's self defence" Amelia knew this woman wasn't brave to take her anger out on her so she calmly walked past her. Daryl, her so called shadower did nothing to break it up, far to happy to see his new guest buckle.

"That's a lie!" and Amelia felt the air behind her whoosh past her hair, turning quickly she caught the blunt of the baton in her palm. One step forward and she pushed against it, twisting her wrist she slipped it from her attackers hand and placed it tightly against her throat.

"I will not hurt you. Attack me again however I will do whatever possible to make sure you don't breathe again. Understand?" and she dug the baton into her neck a little more. The woman's eye's widened but she nodded.

Amelia dropped the baton, ignored the shock in both Daryl's and her attackers face and made her way down the stairs.

_You sure showed that bitch! Although a little whack to the throat wouldn't of hurt...you hahahaha!_

Gritting her teeth she spotted two women preparing what looked like dinner. They turned to get a better look at her and Amelia knew Daryl was signalling for them not to talk to her, he was afraid she would lash out again.

"Hi, er I'm Beth and this is Carol" a young pretty blonde girl stepped towards her with a bright smile on her petite face. They were trying for Rick

"Hello" the short hair woman behind her curtly welcomed her.

"Hi..." Amelia was quickly unaware of what to say or what to do.

"Are you hungry? Dinner will be done in an hour or so" Beth said happily, wiping her hands on a towel.

"A little, what are you cooking?" and Beth seemed happy that the newcomer was talking to her.

"We're just making my daddy's famous stew. You good with that?" and Beth passed her a plastic cup filled with water.

"Sure" and Amelia tried to smile. Carol walked around Beth while quickly inspecting Amelia's clothes and tutted. Amelia looked down at her clothes wondering what had this woman so interested.

"We have some clean clothes for you if you would like them? You might be a bit more comfortable"

Amelia nodded, she did feel really uncomfortable in her dirty clothes but didn't want to accept, knowing that she owed somebody a favour sat uncomfortably.

"Yeah she needs them" Daryl butted in, passing Carol and sitting at the table infront of them. Carol smiled happily at them and teetered off to find the clothes. Amelia took this opportunity to ignore Beth's open attitude to her and check around the prison. It seemed pretty secure but you could never be sure anymore. Amelia felt like a sitting duck just waiting to be shot.

Daryl turned to her "Are you going to sit down woman? You're making me dizzy"

"Daryl!" and Amelia turned to see the little boy from earlier who was so eager to have her put down run in. He managed to scowl at her before blusteringly getting what he needed to say out "Dad needs your help! There's a group of walkers pushing on that weak spot in the first fence! It ain't going to hold much longer"

"Oh hell"


	5. Chapter 5

**So I've had a busy day at work but I'm still slaving away over this story for you crazy kids haha. Just a quick note I would really appreciate a few reviews just to boost this story a little bit. Of course be honest! But c'mon guys I shouldn't have to ask. I don't think I'll be posting much if I don't receive reviews. It sorta makes me wonder if you guys are enjoying these at all.**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

I love your potential

Amelia followed Daryl as he ran out of the room, quickly pulling and loading in preparation for the worst. Amelia didn't feel unsettled by this possible walker break in, she knew that she could hold her own. However she did worry for the little baby that she knew was somewhere in the prison.

They came to a yard which was quickly filling with starving walkers, the south fence had been breached and from what Amelia could see it was only being held by plastic ties. Rick was holding most of them off as people ran into the prison, Daryl was trying to reign in the strays whereas Maggie and Glenn where getting people back to safety. Amelia didn't like just standing there but she didn't care much for her 'kidnappers safety' either.

The flesh hungry walkers seemed faster, spurred on by their constant repression from entering the prison but a stray young blonde guy, shocked to the floor did nothing but stare at them. Amelia jumped towards him, snatching his long jagged knife and running to Ricks side. They wanted her potential and she was about to show them just how much she had.

Maggie was shoving a knife into a female walkers rotting eye socket when she missed the one behind her, hands ready to tear her to shreds when Amelia intercepted it. Slamming the knife she had just stole into the back of it's neck, up through it's brain.

"Thanks!" she breathed before racing on to help Glenn.

"You got it" and she ran towards three that had just fell through the hole in the fence and pushed them back with her arm. They where distracted by her warm flesh on their bodies and she took the opportunity to quickly slam her knife into their brains. Three crunches had never been so satisfying.

"Amelia!" Rick yelled but she already knew one was on her trail, she swung around and forced it down with a kick. Snapping it's jaw towards her ankle she stamped down until it no longer twitched.

Carl came running down the steps with what looked like a gun with a large silencer on and started taking down the strays that scattered the fence. Glenn had already began hasty work in trying to close the gap. Daryl has chosen his knife, taking down two female walkers without hesitation and Amelia was forcefully defending her corner.

Twisting the knife in her hand she pushed back an overly large man in a dusty grey suit, it was trying to snap at her throat when she got up close and planted the knife into it's right eye. It was only when she was sprayed with it's dark rotting blood and flesh did she regret helping this camp.

Turning around to grab her next target she was almost crest fallen when there was none left.

Rick and Daryl made their way over to her, both covered in a lot of blood and guts.

"We need to burn these bodies and think of a secure way to block up that gap" Rick breathed as he wiped the long machete in his hands. Amelia knew he was happy that she was showing signs of joining his camp but she wasn't that easy.

"You need to tie wooden boards to the other side. Create another barrier, one that creates a wall. It's harder to get through. You should do it for all your weak spots. Oh and putting down planks with long bent nails just before all of the fences should stop a heard build up. You can take them out easily when they're still."

Daryl stared at her, contemplating her advice to the camp and shrugged "Sounds good to me. It'll stop shit like this happenin' again"

"You want to sort that tomorrow?" Rick asked her.

"Sure" she snapped through gritted teeth knowing she had no way to say no. "I need to clean your mess off me, excuse me" she replied tartly before slamming her knife at Daryls feet and storming back into the prison.

–

Carol was the first to shakily greet Amelia with clean clothes and few cleaning products. Amelia knew this woman wasn't quite sure on her but she refused to make an acknowledgement of the problem. Thanking her quickly she turned to find the so called showers only to find a cleaner Daryl shadowing her.

"I'll be taking you down to the showers" and he smirked at her disgust. He didn't exactly like having to baby sit her either but he liked to make her squirm. It gave him the chance to see her intentions.

"Brilliant. Herbert the pervert is taking me to the showers" she muttered as she followed him down the dark tombs.

"Don't flatter yourself. You ain't my type"

"Are other rednecks your type?"

"Somethin' like that" and he stopped infront of a large grey door. "In there" he barked. Ignoring him she walked inside and placed her clothes on a small stool in the room.

"You can wait outside. I'm not going to do a runner in a room with one door and no windows" she hissed hotly only to see the most peculiar thing pop up on his face; embarrassment.

"I don't think so" and he turned his back "Just hurry the fuck up I have stuff to do" and Amelia didn't like it one bit. Of course she didn't trust him but what choice did she have?

Stripping down quickly and quietly she turned on the tap. Being sprayed with cold water made her scream a little and she began dancing on her tip toes trying to warm up. Wetting her hair quickly and groaning as the cold water dripped down her back she quickly began scrubbing dried blood off her body. Daryl could turn around if he wanted too and she hoped he just wouldn't, conscious of her scar at the bottom of her back.

Daryl hated being in this damn room with this damn woman. It pissed him off to know that he had to put himself through the embarrassment of her nakedness so close to him and her teasing that he as doing this to get his rocks off. Although it was hard not to think about what she looked like naked he still hadn't forgotten who she was or how she got here.

Daryl then thought about her with her clothes on and gritted his teeth. The very first time he saw her and those bright green eyes blinking up at him did his brain register that she was attractive. Slim with curves in the right places and legs for days grabbed him when she was dragged out of the boot. He had never seen a girl so pale, with such bright eyes and dark brown hair look so...vibrantly angry.

"I'm done" And Daryl without thinking turned around to see her wringing out her long wet hair, which had soaked through the white top she was wearing.

_FUCK._

–

The prisons members sat around their large tables at dinner, all idly eating their food, put off by the second break in since arriving when Rick cleared his throat.

"I know this break in has set us back but it was a win for us guys. We took it back, we took what was ours back without anyone getting hurt"

"Thanks to Amelia!" Beth jumped in and then blushed when everyone scowled. The girl was trying so hard to welcome Amelia. "I mean she took them down quickly"

"Yeah she did" and Rick nodded as he looked down to his food.

"What is it you exactly did?" Glenn jumped in, his eyes defensive but only because she had saved his girlfriend. Men hate when you bruise their ego.

"I didn't" Amelia drawled, pushing her half eaten plate away. Living on the road with little food meant when you did get it you couldn't stomach large portions.

"Hershel said you were in the army. That you were a special unit" Carl butted in.

Amelia was ignoring them, too intent on the baby being brought into the room by a very tired Carol. Daryl was eyeing her now, watching for any bad intent towards the youngest member of the group.

"I was" Amelia answered absent mindly, returning her steely gaze on the young boy pretending to be a man.

"So, what did you do in it?" he shot back. The whole prison was eager for an answer

"A lot" and she smirked, pleased with herself.

"I told you she wouldn't answer" Carl snarled in Beths direction. Amelia felt a twang in her stomach, unfamiliar with the feeling she narrowed her eyes. Amelia didn't like that Carl was dropping her in it so she cleared her throat.

"I was a special officer shall we say, I took down enemies that you were never aware of and I even took down countries under American guidance. I was a threat preventer in common terms"

"You killed people?" Beth asked, blusteringly. It's funny how surprised people can be when you tell them you killed for a living but they where the ones in an apocalypse.

"Yes but only the bad people"

"So you're some sort of ninja?" Glenn asked, shocked.

Amelia barked a loud, obnoxious laugh "Do I look like a bloody ninja?"

Glenn let out a long breath and began to stutter "Well...er'er yes?"

Amelia shook her head, not enjoying everyone's constant stares but this gave her the perfect opportunity to ask her own questions. As the question popped into her head she noticed the look Daryl and Rick passed between one another.

"Who's is the baby?" and she looked at Rick.

Rick's face fell, sudden pain flashing in his eyes "She's mine"

A girl has been too much information for Amelia, standing up abruptly she left the table and stalked to her designated cell. It was all too much. Daryl decided not to follow.

**Reviews mean new, longer chapters guys...**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N- Ah guys I got my first review today off the lovely 'Samasbananas'! It made me so happy so I had to rush home from work to finish this chapter for you all. It's so nice to know people are enjoying it. Anyway less of my rambling, just a quick note I will be posting two more lengthy chapters tomorrow if I get a few more reviews so the power is in your hands! Daryl would want you to do it.**

Me, myself and I.

Daryl stalked back to his perch after dinner, he hadn't enjoyed the eerily silence Amelia had left when she abruptly ended all conversation with one blank stare and a quick storm off. Rick had also wanted Daryl to check on her because he had been afraid that somehow, unknowingly he had just pushed the groups last chance to the brink. Everyone noted how frosty Amelia was being about her past and what she previously did, the younger members of the group didn't understand the extremity of her past job as much and it worried him.

The dark cell didn't help Daryl as he peered into it, listening for any sign of the woman that was causing so much drama. Silence. Winding up one of the solar panelled torches he pushed it into her cell. Amelia was lay on her back, looking up at the top bunk when he shined the bright torch in her face. Hissing she lifted one of her arms to cover her eyes.

Daryl's mouth popped as he saw the light blue shirt she was wearing rise up, he coughed trying to cover it, not quite understanding the irritating noise his mouth just made. So what the fucking woman had a nice stomach? Grunting he walked further into the cell and slammed the torch down onto the little stool littering the corner. He gave her a look that suggested she better keep the lamp on so he could see her and she didn't like that one bit. Amelia had always been in control of her life and no pervy red neck was going to stop that.

"Are you done trying to piss me off Daryl?" she groaned while swinging her legs off the bed and sitting up.

"I've been told to look after you so that's what I'm doing"

"By blinding me and ruining my sleep?" she retorted and stared right at him.

He hated every ounce of himself when she did that, she had a way of staring right into a person, pushing past every barrier they had ever set up and slamming it down. Daryl didn't want anyone close to him, afraid that they'll see him for what he really is and see all of his scars that littered his body like a horror story.

"Stop complainin'"

"I will when you let me go" and she turned from him, not wanting to see the answer in his face. Truth be known Amelia didn't want to stay with these people a minute longer, they where already trying to put down emotional ties with her and she couldn't do that again.

_Someone always ends up dead when you try to help._

"Will you stop askin'? The answer is still no. You made a promise with Rick" and he sat down in front of her, pushing his long legs out and placing his bow down. The man never left his damn bow, it was almost as if he was married to the thing. Amelia inwardly laughed at that, she had known a lot of men married to their weapons in her line of work and the divorce never ended well.

"I'm not a threat. I just want to be on my way. I don't fit in with you people and being in this prison is driving-"

"No"

And Amelia gritted her teeth and screamed a low, angry scream as she flopped down onto the bed. This guy just loved to push her buttons.

"I'm not as great as Rick thinks I am" she whispered heading down the emotional blackmail route. "I can't offer you what you want. I think it's better if you let me go now before anyone starts relying on me"

Daryl heard the pain in her voice that she tried to hide by clearing her throat but it made him angry. A pool of anger bubbled low in his stomach, threatening to pour across the cell like vicious acid.

"What is your problem woman? These people are good people and if Rick believes that you're good for them then what's the problem!? You have a lot to offer but they have a lot too. Give em' a damn chance!" he hissed, pushing up off his hands and getting in her face. Amelia noted with disdain how beautiful his eyes were when they where alive with anger.

"I _know_ they're good people but I ain't your fucking angel and you can't keep me here" slamming her hand down on the torch the room fell into darkness. The only sound was their heavy breathing. "Oh, and I ain't Rick's soldier"

–

Rick sat upon the over turned bus under the light of the stars contemplating the horrid day he had trudged through. The breach in the fence had been the wake up call nobody wanted or cared for and it really shook him. They had maintained a safety to which everyone felt satisfied with until today and Rick felt like he had let them all down. He did that a lot recently.

A soft breeze past his face and it made him think of Lori, she loved spring, it was her favourite time of year. Lori always said 'Spring brings new opportunities for everyone' and Rick had a tear in his eye, Lori was always right and he wish he had appreciated that a lot more when he should of. Amelia was the person he needed by his side now and he knew it, she was the strong woman that he needed to rely on and to help build a safer camp. He just knew it! Truth be known everyone in the camp was strong, especially Daryl but he needed someone with a specialised skill; it made decisions easier and the burden on his shoulders a lot easier to hold.

Carol, after Amelia had left the dinner table had turned to Rick and told him to be patient with Amelia but also not to push her. Amelia may have been strong but Carol saw right through her and saw the pain she was carrying and Rick shouldn't push her to pick them. Rick understood, he really did but he wanted and needed this just to finally pull him out of the emotional black hole he was in. Women are far to complex for the likes of Rick, he always had trouble trying to work them out but he was a honest man.

Well as honest as he could try to be. Rick had already had Glenn and Maggie working on trying to get Amelia to feel more comfortable within the group even if it did mean using a baby, her maternal instinct and the youngest members of the group to get attached. He knew women that well.

Rick however forgot about the painful look Amelia had shared towards the young baby as it entered the room at dinner and this left him open to a huge flaw in his plan.

–

Carl was uncomfortable tonight and nobody would give him anything to do because apparently he wasn't old enough to be on watch in the dark. Running through the kitchen area he found Hershel feeding baby Judith, his injured leg upon the table bench.

"Slow down son. Shouldn't you be in bed?" and he shifted Judith slightly so could guzzle more at her baby formula.

"Can't sleep" he murmured as he plopped down into the seat across "Dad won't let me sit watch with him"

"You shouldn't be out there, your father can handle that on his own but he'll need you tomorrow when he's tired" and Judith cooed in approval.

"Hmph!" and Carl slammed his gun down on to the table. His attention suddenly turned to a more pressing matter and he thought for a second before asking. "Do you like Amelia?"

"I don't dislike her" and Hershel raised a thick grey eyebrow at him "Why?"

"Well we don't know anything about her but dad seems to trust her" and Carl shrugged his shoulders, not sure on whether to agree with his father. 'Bad things happen when he trusts people'

"Everyone started somewhere in this group Carl and everyone in the world is different. That's one thing in this world that hasn't changed"

Baby Judith was happily sleeping now, far content with her last bottle and the warm arms that embraced her. Hershel was happy to contribute to the group and knowing his daughters were getting a good nights rest because of him kept him going.

"Do you think she'll teach me some of the cool stuff she knows?" and Hershel grinned, he had been waiting throughout their brief conversation for this question. Everyone wanted to do the stuff that this mysterious woman could do but everyone also wanted to be just as good as her, to get Rick's approval. Carl more so.

"There is nothing wrong with asking and I'm sure Glenn would also like to learn a few things"

**Reviews=two more chapters tomorrow. Don't let Daryl or Amelia down :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N- Awwh you guys have been so nice in the reviews so as promised this is the first chapter of the day. The second one will follow closely behind. This is a filler chapter but very important. We're starting to see a lot more interaction with Amelia and the prison but also more about her past. I'm hoping you all enjoy this! Let me know and if you have any questions you know what to do.**

Remember when life was so simple? Me either

Amelia had woken to the sound of Daryl moving about but she didn't open her eyes, afraid that she would have to have some sort of conversation with him. Once he had left she quickly had a wash and got dressed knowing that Rick had given her a job to do. Don't get her wrong, oh she hated more than anything doing something for the man that was backing her existence into a corner but it gave her something to do, something her hands could do other than stick a knife in the back of someone's head.

Just kidding.

When she stepped outside she was hit by a brisk wind but she didn't care, she liked the way it lashed across her skin making her feel alive. The walkers were incredibly dull spirited today she noted as she began her work, rummaging through scrap piles, finding tools and plastic ties to begin making all her make shift barriers. Amelia hadn't really been one for DIY but when it came to booby traps she was always an A star student.

As soon as she hit the first nail into the long broken off plank she had found the walkers became alive with a fervour that could of only been found in wild dogs. They pushed against the closest fence, wanting to rip her flesh from her body, to tear her rib cage apart but she looked through them. There was no use being scared of an enemy that didn't even know itself. There was nothing left. They where just controlled by a tiny strand of animalisatic nature, that was clinging on.

"Fuckin' walkers" she hissed under her breath knowing for sure Tyreese, the guy she had taken down only days before was revelling in the fact they where all now headed in her direction. Setting her traps and security walls was going to be a lot more difficult without any distractions.

Pushing back her long hair she looked down at her handy work. In front of the metal fences she would place down planks full of nails bent in particular ways that should stop any walkers pushing against the barriers. This gave the came an opportunity to take them out, through the fence without having to get up and personal. Amelia was just that damn smart. There was enough to go around the fence around the yard which was the most vulnerable place if any walkers made it past the others.

"You're going to need this" and Amelia swung around, hammer in her right hand completely taken aback.

Beth winced when she saw the hammer come around but Amelia had already dropped it before it could of made any contact.

"Don't fucking scare me like that!" and she flicked her long hair back over her right shoulder, face ablaze with anger and embarrassment that this young girl had caught her out.

Beth flushed "Here" and she passed her a long knife, her long knife from her backpack.

"Thanks" Amelia grabbed it and slotted it into the holder in her right boot.

"Oh and you can have this-" she passed her a band for her hair "I have loads and I saw earlier that your hair was getting in your face" and she smiled.

Amelia tried to smile back, she really did but she felt really uncomfortable around these people. They always wanted approval from her but she couldn't understand for the life of her why they would. They had all survived this far and were all equally talented and strong.

"Thanks, that'll be a big help" and she gently took the band and quickly pushed her hair up.

"You hair looks nice like that! Oh and breakfast will be ready in half an hour. It's not much but it's better than nothing"she smiled softly before hurrying off back into the prison.

Amelia looked up to an angry looked Tyreese and flipped him off. The guy didn't like her one bit, she bruised his ego in front of the whole camp and threatened his wife.

Amelia got back to her work, firstly fixing the weak spot in the fence with precision; only taking down three walkers as she fastened the oak planks to the metal. Easy enough. It was when she had to slip out of the locked gate to get to the rest of the fence did she have a problem. All of the walkers headed towards her and carefully carrying the boards meant she could only do one thing at a time.

"Great" she drawled as one lurched an attack on her. Dropping the wood she placed her knife into it's throat and with a crunch brought it ripping through the skull., it fell with a quick thud and she stepped over it Quickly she began placing the boards in their rightful place, not wanting to spend another minute out in the fields, caged in with these freaks. Two minutes later she was pushing past the walkers, taking out the strays only to meet Glenn at the gate. He took one look at her and without anger or judgement he let her in.

"Thanks. I think we're covered now. There's no room for weakness in the boarders but they'll have to be regularly checked" she said to Glenn before he could ask. He silently nodded as they made there way up to the prison.

"I know we got off to a really bad start-"

"You can say that again" and she stopped to look at him.

"I was just protecting Maggie, she's all I have in this world and I jumped to the conclusion you were bad news. You know how it is"

Amelia looked at him for a long time, he seemed genuine enough and she had met a lot worse guys who would of loved to have kidnapped her. In his face she could see that he would do anything to protect his girlfriend and even possibly the camp, she couldn't be mad at his human nature, she would of done the same for her men...

_Thought you had pushed that back didn'tcha? Nah that's sticking with you._

"It's fine" she rasped, clearing her throat she continued "I'm not mad, don't get me wrong I wish you hadn't but you did the right thing" and she left him, gob smacked. Glenn was expecting a gutting and a slap across the face.

–

Daryl and Rick waited at the top of the yard for Amelia who they saw covered in dirt and blood and they swapped knowing looks. Rick however was looking around at her handy work, impressed with the precision with only scraps of wood and a small amount of tools. The camp was going to be a little safer thanks to her and that was always a bonus.

"Why are they getting stuck like that?" Daryl asked just as Amelia approached.

Amelia rolled her eye's as if the reason they where getting stuck was widely known.

"They get stuck so it's easier for us to stop a build up. Whenever the racks fill we take the walkers out, through the fence without having to get up and personal. It's all about stopping a build up. If a herd was to come by we could control it before it broke the fence"

"Smart. Just what we needed" Rick agreed but wasn't too sure about taking the walkers out in the first place and Amelia could see it.

"They'll be at arms length and wont be able to move further, stick a rod through the fence and they'll go down. It's all about controlling what they do and there next move" and she looked to Daryl ready for him to question her.

"Sounds good to me" He said and she felt some sort of relief in her stomach. Without realising it she was happier that he approved of her work rather than Rick. Daryl seemed like the muscle in this group and she didn't want him outshining her.

"Could you do this for all the fences?" Rick asked as he peered down the yard.

Amelia shook her head, she understood his need for complete safety but it would be useless.

"Yeah but it wouldn't work. That vast amount of space would take us weeks to fill with the boards and from what I saw ain't none of those walkers going to get any closer" and she turned from them both, wanting to quickly wash the rotting flesh and blood off her trousers before she started smelling like a walker.

"Your on guard with me tonight" Daryl called after her, she stopped a little and groaned. He was trying to get under her skin, to work her out because he was so afraid she was going to tear the group from the insides.

"Whatever you say Herbert"

"Why is she calling you Herbert?" she heard Rick ask.

"Don't ask. Woman's bloody crazy"

–

Have you ever had that feeling that when you walk into a room you just know people had been talking about you? Your face goes red, your palms sweat and you feel the need to vomit and run. Amelia had that as she entered the kitchen space but pushed back all of her emotion.

It was only when she spotted Rick's boy Carl going through her backpack did all those feelings disappear, only to be replaced with rage. He hadn't seen her enter when he started to dangle dog chains from his chubby fingers. He liked the look of them and he knew that wearing something like that made you tough.

"What the fuck are you doing kid?!" she snapped, yanking them painfully from his hands.

"I-I was just-I was just loo-looking" he stammered, going bright red and looking around to see if Beth had noticed his embarrassment. Oh she had alright.

"These are my things. I don't give a shit if your daddy or anyone here said you could go looking through my backpack, you cant okay? Next time I catch you going through it I'll take your fingers off" she seethed, almost automatically feeling horrid when the words slipped out.

"Amelia!" Maggie tried to walk into their conversation, trying to prevent Carl from anymore hurt and she didn't like that.

"Did no one teach this kid any manners!?"

"Did anyone teach you any?" Carol asked, appalled at the way she was talking to Carl.

"No-no Carol Amelia's right" Carl butted in, completely freezing the room full of shock. He cleared his throat and puffed out his chest "I had no right. I'm sorry, I got a little curious but it won't happen again. I promise"

Amelia felt like she had been hit with a tonne of bricks. It had been a long time since she had to deal with normal people and it was really starting to show. Did she just leave the room or did she accept the boys apology knowing that he would sure want to know where the dog tags came from.

It was a gamble.

"Just don't do it again okay?" and she had accepted his apology.

"Yes ma'am" he slyly saluted. The whole room fell to ease again except for Carol who was on tender hooks, not quite trusting the newest member of the group. Daryl had told her not too and she trusted Daryl's judgement.

"Cut that out! I'm only twenty six" and she groaned, knowing she had given yet another piece of her identity away. Grabbing the rest of her things she stormed out of the kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N- This is your second lot for the day guys! I just want to let people know that updates wont be as frequent for the next week as I have an assignment due. Although reviews ect could speed things up a little! haha. Anyway this is for you Daryl/Amelia lovers.**

Our world cannot afford anymore pain.

_It was tight under the Jeep that day but she knew she was the only one for the job as she squeezed under it, front first. The guys were keeping guard from any walkers and stray people as she began fixing the petrol tank underneath. It was pouring petrol that they couldn't afford to waste and she was the only one small enough to fix it._

"_Oi Johnny quit cupping your balls man and watch your corner. I ain't dying for your sorry redneck ass" Kyle barked jokingly. Amelia laughed from under the Jeep knowing full well Johnny was probably lazily touching himself, enjoying the scenic view of the side of the road._

"_How we lookin' down there long legs?" Kyle asked. Kyle loved to tease Amelia, they had both been close on duty and off. They had eachother's back but it's didn't half grind her gears when he was sexist towards her. It satisfied her to know she could easily take him down though._

"_I'm nearly done!" she called up, putting her index finger over the leak as she patted the ground for duct tape._

"_A woman fixin our ride? What next?" Andy joked. Amelia saw him walk past the front of the car and she threw a wrench at his ankle. He spluttered in pain as he hopped up and down clutching it._

"_You really are a thick son of a bitch aren't you Andy?" Rob shouted from the back of the Jeep to which Amelia knew Andy had flipped him off._

"_C'mon Amelia we got to go. These fuckin walkers are closin' in" Kyle commanded as he clipped a reel into his gun, ready to protect her if needed. Amelia sighed angrily, she hated being rushed._

"_One second okay!?"_

"_Alright don't get that pretty pink thong in a twist" he called back with a soft chuckle. It was only when Amelia was fixing the duct to the tank did everything stop being a joke._

"_Boys we have incoming at twelve! Amelia stay down, we don't want you shooting up catching these off guard"_

_Amelia knew by Andy's voice that they were dealing with the non-infected kind and she began trying to grab her gun in the tiny space. A car stopped just a few feet in front of theirs when she saw four guys step out._

"_Woah woah! We come waving a white flag my friends" the new guys accent was typical of a redneck, she had heard it before with Johnny but his voice held so much anger and deceit. She knew they were in big trouble now._

"_Who are you?" Kyle demanded as he took the safety off his gun. Amelia knew he had it pointing towards these new people, he wouldn't be caught off guard like that._

"_I'm Merle and these ere' are my buddies. We came to take ya to a little safe town called Woodbury just up the way._

"_There ain't no towns" Kyle called back._

"_Oh I can assure you there is!" and she heard him laugh and instantly felt repulsed. If only she could twist a little to get a better look at the scene. "We need some guys like you and you're all welcome. We aint' here to cause you no harm" and Amelia heard Kyle's gun swing, hitting the metal on his belt._

_Everyone on her team followed and she knew it was a mistake._

_The sound of gun fire pierced through her heart, she had to watch the bodies around her quickly drop, bloody splatting up against her sides._

"_This gets too easy booooys!" and she heard this Merle cackle as the gun fire went on._

_When it stopped Amelia found herself looking into Kyle's eyes, they where bright with pain and confusion as the blood began to run from his body. Sobbing into her sleeve she began to reach out to comfort him, her long lost friend would be gone forever and she couldn't do anything._

"_Do we put a bullet in their brain?" someone asked in the distance._

"_Nah lets not waste the amo. Let them turn" and she heard a car door slam and just like that her life suddenly became worthless. Crying out loud she reached for Kyle but he gurgled a no, his eye's conveying a pain that took her a long time to understand. He made a movement with his hand but she didn't want to leave him._

_Amelia sobbed harder when she saw his eye's flutter. _

"_No Kyle, stay awake..you have to for all of us! I'll get you out of this. I'll get help damn it just stay awake!" but his eye's were closed, his breathing laboured and the hole in his chest seeping._

"_Run" he whispered. His last word was full of protection and it hurt her even more. Oh she couldn't just leave them, they where her men, she had to do something. In those moments she wanted to grab them all, fix them, protect them but it was all slipping away. There was no help._

_They all died around her, coating her with their blood as it seeped under the Jeep and she just stayed their and sobbed until her chest wheezed._

"_No-no God don't do this to me. Don't abandon them! They're good men" she whispered. If she hadn't been so alert from the previous gun fire she wouldn't of noticed Kyle's hand had twitched and she had sudden hope that he was going to be okay, until his eye's popped open, cloudy and blood shot._

_He reached for her, he grabbed her shirt and his jaw opened wide-_

Amelia jolted up right, not having time to fully open her eyes when she leaned over the bed and began violently retching. There wasn't enough air in the room to calm her down and when Daryl came bursting in she couldn't calm herself down enough. He flew at her, grabbed her by the shoulders as she continued to retch. He knew by the sweat on her brow and tangle of her hair that she must of had a bad dream.

"Ugh!" she wheezed, forcing her lungs to co-operate and shrugging Daryl off.

"What the hells wrong?" he whispered, trying not to bring anymore attention to her cell. Everyone in the small cell block had been woken up by Amelia's scream and sudden retching and everyone was on edge.

"Bad dream. Give me space!" she hissed.

"Bad dreams make you violently sick?" he asked as she leaned over and dry heaved. The pain was coming over in waves and she couldn't stop it. Amelia just wanted Daryl to leave her the cell alone while she dealt with this attack, couldn't he see she was in pain?

"J-just go!" she almost fell off the small bunk when the air flew out of her lungs. Grabbing her without thinking he pushed her head inbetween her knees. He had seen Lori do this to Carl when he got worked up once at the back of the farm.

Amelia felt his cool hand at the back of her neck and felt the calm wash over her but her breathing wasn't anywhere near caught up.

Daryl suddenly realised what he was doing and felt like his hand was burning. He didn't really like touching people, especially this girl who was hell bent on making him feel uncomfortable. He put it down as doing the camp a favour and that was that. As he waited for her to calm down his eye's fell to the small of her back, her shirt had risen only slightly and he saw a thin scar at the bottom of her back and suddenly felt self conscious himself. He blushed under the dirt on his face.

His hand suddenly slipped from her neck as she rose up, face flushed and a worn out expression. He didn't know what to say but for the first time he wanted to talk to her, to ask questions he wouldn't of normally put down to his business.

"You can go" she said, looking down.

"What? No thank you. I just stopped you from passing out" he mumbled, looking down at his hands.

"What do you want Daryl, a bloody medal? It was just a bad reaction it was nothing"

"It was a panic attack" he said.

" .wasn't" and for the first time since meeting her Daryl saw right through her façade. Oh she looked so weak in the moonlight.

"Whatever you say" and the room fell back into silence. Daryl normally liked the silence, hell he preferred it but with her it was totally different.

"What did you dream about?" he asked, careful not to look at her face. He regretted opening his big damn mouth. Why was he suddenly nosey? He was turning into a bloody woman. This is what you get from being around them all the time.

Amelia looked at him then, she had worked him out a long time ago and knew that he wasn't the type to ask questions or care for the answers. He was a guy that liked to get the job done.

"Oh you know, being chased by giant spiders" and she let out a little laugh.

"Hell they must have been some big ass spiders" and she cringed as he brought up her previous embarrassment.

"Look I don't want to talk about it-"

"I ain't askin' to hear it" and as offish as he had been with her she understood that he was respecting her privacy without full putting it out there. He was trying to make her think that she was nothing but a burden to him and the camp.


	9. Chapter 9

**_Ola! How is everyone on this fine day? good I hope. Anyway I apologise for lack of chapter yesterday but I did explain I had an assignment which hopefully is done now. How are you all finding the story? I would just like to thank 'samasbananas' again for reviewing and being so nice (this long chapter is for her) To everyone that is following this story, reading and favouriting I really appreciate you all. Please keep reviewing ect because it really does make me want to write more and more for you guys._**

**_Oh and is it just me who's really missing TWD? Dying here guys._**

Fix me. I'm broken.

The sun was just setting as Amelia pushed open the prison doors. It was eerily quiet she noticed when she looked down towards her new laden traps. They hadn't been as full as she expected but there also wasn't many walkers around the prison. This was odd, it was as if the cold was keeping them at bay, making them weak...

Bending down to touch her toes she let out a long breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. It was the perfect opportunity to do a little exercise while nobody was awake, it also meant she could reign herself in. These past couple of days had weighed down on her shoulders significantly. As she began stretching her legs she thought back to the moment she was 'kidnapped' and grimaced. If only she had waited...she could of gotten her medication and she could of avoided this group who were keen on emotional ties. Oh, she knew she was in plenty of trouble but she was trying her damn hardest to make sure it didn't bubble up to the surface.

Amelia began her fifteen minute routine of running, quick sprints, squats and sit ups. These all helped her regain discipline and satisfaction when she sweat. Especially in this day and age there was no option of letting yourself go, you had to be quick on the mark to be quick from death.

"You were suppose'to take watch with me last night" and she turned around, her long hair whipping Daryl across the face only to find him covered in dirt holding a bunch of dead rabbits.

"I was busy" she hissed, turning back around and bending over to touch her toes. Her muscles were good, she wouldn't ache too much tomorrow.

Daryl however felt a sudden ache and squirmed away from her, walked around to face her again but to also avoid that sensation.

"You're on watch with me tonight. I'll drag you out ere' if I have to" he snarled. Amelia stood up again and saw his cheeks were tainted with a hint of red but couldn't quite work out why. He was perfectly fine a minute ago.

"Alright I'll take watch with you. Don't nag me" and she began walking back into the prison.

Daryl hated it when she just walked away, it fucking well pissed the man off and it wasn't any different today. In all honesty Daryl just wanted to pin her down and ask what the hell she was doing and why she had to make everything so damn difficult. Instead he caught up with her.

"What is your problem?"

"Being here is my problem. I asked you fuckers to let me go, even promised I wouldn't hurt none of you but you're keeping me like some kids pet" she hissed back, turning to him.

"You made a deal with Rick. You ought' to start living by your own rules an quit upsetting people in this camp who just wanna' be your friend" he growled, shoving her a little.

Amelia didn't let anyone put a hand on her but she was in too much shock. Instead of her natural reflex to put him on the floor she just stared down at her shoulder, still not quite understanding this guys problem. She hadn't asked to be his friend, for him to like her or for him to put up with her. You would of thought that the guy so eager to get rid of her would of just let her go.

"I'm not here to be anyone's friends Daryl" she made sure she hissed his name "It's not my fault if they're all so damn nosey"

Daryl shook his head, his temper getting the better of him. He couldn't stand this anymore, he knew at that moment he was going to have to talk to Rick about this arrangement. It was getting too much.

"Guys! Can you two hush your mouths. I'm tryna' get Judith back to sleep here" Hissed Maggie from around the door.

"Yeah sure. I'm done here anyway" Daryl said as he slipped into the door, to go find Judith and to hopefully calm down.

Amelia smirked to herself.

_That's it. Piss them all off, they'll sure as hell let you go if you do that._

"You know he's only trying to help you settle in here" Maggie said as Amelia slipped into the building too.

"I don't need anyone's help"

"That's not how it sounded last night" And Amelia froze in her tracks, her whole being quivering with embarrassment and guilt. It never occurred to her that anyone else heard what happened last night. In all honesty she thought most of what happened last night had been a bad dream.

"We're not trying to be your enemy Amelia" and she paused "We just want to make you feel welcome and as stupid as that sounds, given everything that's happened we know you're going to fit in here"

–

"Listen! LISTEN!" Rick growled as he pushed into Daryl's personal space. "We NEED this. I need this. Can you just not for a second see the bigger picture?"

Daryl looked from under his wisps of hair "I am seeing the bigger picture. That girl is nothin' but trouble and I can't be around that. I have stuff to do Rick"

Rick was stressed and Daryl knew that, he had a twinge of regret for pissing him off so much but he just couldn't take it any longer. Rick wasn't blind to the fact that Daryl had really been struggling since the loss of his brother but he knew that Daryl wanted to deal with it his own way. Rick walked over to the closest wall and put his hand out to lean against it. He closed his eyes for a brief second to regain some composure.

"I promise I'll get her to behave. You just have to give me some time"

–

Amelia had breakfast alone after her morning of exercise but being in that prison a minute longer was going to drive her insane. Making her way out into the yard she spotted Carol bent over a rough patch of dirt and decided to make her way over. Maybe she was being a little too much for these people, they where trying to be nice to her and even put a roof over her head and food in her stomach. It could be worse.

"Need a little help?" Amelia asked as she stood over Carol.

Carol looked up, suddenly uneasy with the newest arrival and looked around the yard for Rick. "Yeah sure"

Amelia quickly sat down and grabbed a trowel that was next to Carol. Carol flinched a little. Amelia slowly began turning over the dried dirt, knowing already that Carol was getting ready to plant seeds.

"Look I'm sorry about shouting at you and the boy yesterday. It's been a long time since I've been around people-"

"No, no it's okay. Really. You just, well you just know how to make things uncomfortable" and she chuckled a little. Amelia didn't know if know was the time to join in and laugh or be insulted.

"Yeah I get told that alot" and Amelia laughed a little.

"Oh so you do laugh then!" and Carol playfully nudged her. Amelia froze in place, not sure on what to do now. It felt foreign to her that someone was being so nice. "Oh I'm so sorry I-"

"Nah it's okay!" Amelia quickly interrupted while playfully nudging her back. They both laughed with one another after that.

"Are you okay with being with us now?" Carol asked as she began patting down the dirt.

"Um. I'm warming to you all"

"So you're thinking of staying with us then?" and Amelia heard the hopeful tone.

"I didn't say that" and an awkward silence descended over both of them. Instead of making it any issue they both got stuck into their work, enjoying the breeze coming up from behind them. It was the perfect time to be planting crops Amelia figured and she sorta felt good helping them out an plus she liked having something to do with her hands. Her brain wasn't so active when she was doing menial tasks.

"We bought you young ladies some water" Hershel and Carl interrupted. Amelia looked up to find the boy shakily holding two plastic containers, she eagerly took one and passed Carols to her.

"Thank you" she replied softly. Carl's eye's suddenly brightened and he blushed a little.

"If you want some more I'll go get you some"

Amelia chuckled a little while Carol ruffled his hair.

"That's very kind of you" and she turned to Hershel, she felt for the guy who was missing half of his leg. However even though he was weaker because of it she could tell his spirit was just as strong, he smiled back at her.

"It'll be so nice to eat from the land once again"

"You use to farm?" she asked him, general curiosity taking over. She wouldn't of asked trivial questions normally but there was a lot about this man she wanted to know.

"Oh yes. I had every animal and crop going on my farm. It was a nice place to be, the sun set beautifully in summer"

"It sure did" Carol agreed with a solemn look on her face.

Amelia nodded as she thought of her next question but she was thinking delicately about how to ask it.

"Did it become hard to er keep?"

Hershel shifted a little, standing for too long bothered him sometimes when his strength was a little weak.

"Like nothin' I ever seen before. Rick did his best to keep it a safe place for us but they're was just too much. We lost a lot that day"

As Amelia looked around at them all she saw the mourning of the land Hershel spoke for and that once safe time in their lives since the world went to crap. Amelia felt bad for them all and she wanted to tell them but she couldn't quite get the words out.

"A lot's changed but you guys seem happy here. You can build a new farm. I know a prison aint' nothing special but you have more than enough" and she looked to Carl, the next generation and wondered if he would be strong enough to help build a braver, newer society.

"We think of it as home" Carol agreed.

"Well thanks to those new contraptions you put in we sure feel a lot more safer. Rick cleared fifteen this morning"

Amelia smiled to herself, she had wondered why it had been so quiet this morning and her little contraptions had worked.

"Yeah! It's a safer place for Judith now. Mom would of wanted that" and Carol motherly placed a hand over Carls and gave it a little squeeze. He looked down at it and smiled softly, the loss of his mother still hard to bear.

It was like someone had popped a balloon right next to her ear. She had gone deaf for what felt like forever at the sound of Carl talking about his baby sister and his mother. Amelia knew his mother was dead from the ghostly look Rick had given her when she first asked about the baby, she didn't even want to know how.

Amelia quickly looked down to the fields in hope of finding a new distraction from this painful conversation and she spotted Daryl and Tyreese collecting dead Walkers and placing them on the back of a pick up. Just the way Daryl was holding himself was very familiar to her, he was sticking his chest and chin out but the rest of his body looked tired. Almost as if he was grieving. And it hit her square in the chest.

Quickly making her excuses she pushed up of her hands, placed the container in Carl's hands and made her way back into the prison.

Hershel however saw right through her and made a note to talk to Rick about it. Maybe he could get her to shed some light on the subject. They where getting progress from the young lady but whenever Judith was mentioned it was like a mental block for them. It was safer to get to know why.


	10. Chapter 10

_**The longest chapter so far! Yay for the that. I'm building up to some great things guys! I just hope I'm getting this right. If I have time I will be posting another chapter tonight. So review, review and review!**_

The more you curse me, the more you're blessing me.

The image in the mirror can be so hard to bear sometimes. Those eye's that follow you everywhere, judging you for ever wrong thing you did, telling your brain that you aren't worth the oxygen you breath, telling you to give up...but the mouth will tell you to stand tall. You'll see it's shape form into a tight line of determination, it wants you to ignore the bias in your brain. It wants you to fight.

Amelia was fighting with all her strength to stay focused after excusing herself from most of the camp. It had been hard, especially when Rick had caught up with her later in the day to discuss keeping herself under 'wraps'. Rick reminded her that they had a deal and as painful as it was she agreed to go by his rules until the time was up. He left it at that but she knew from the cold look in his eyes that he was going to push her back into a corner again later.

Sighing into the wind she pulled her jacket around herself a little tighter, she had watch with Daryl tonight who was already perched on an overturned bus just before the prison gates. He nodded at her as she hastily climbed the wreckage and parked herself by his side. Amelia knew he was uncomfortable, just as much as she was but something had left her today and she was too tired to fight him. She needed to rest, her brain needed to rest or she was certain she wouldn't survive the fight and _they _would of wanted her to survive.

"Much movement tonight?" she thought this was the most common thing to ask. Truth be know when she was with her own group she never did watch much. They all took care of her really.

"Nah" he mumbled as he began cleaning his arrows. Amelia rolled her eyes to herself and chose to look out onto the vast fields surrounding them. Oh how much the world had changed, turned to shit and let Satan's spawn run wild.

"I didn't mean to be such a bitch to you" and she didn't realise the words were coming out until she heard them back in her head. Scrambling to not seem weak in front of the man looking at her like she had just sprouted two heads she carried on "I don't particularly like being pushed into a corner"

Daryl nodded with a grunt "I can understand that" and he nodded again. Amelia nodded too and turned back to look out the grounds. Darkness was really settling now and a light drizzle started to descend. Amelia didn't really care about getting wet, there was something so free about feeling the weather on your face.

"Rick really wants you ere'. Thinks your going to keep us together, to be one of us" and he looked right at her, with those piercing eyes and she just managed to grimace.

"I wish he could see that I'm no angel. Hell most of your group don't even like me. How can I be your enemy and your ally?" and she looked right back at him, wanting him secretly to change her mind.

"They don't hate you. They don't know you. Nothing scares this group more than damn secrets even if there is crazy motherfuckers on their tail every day" and he pointed to a particular walker chewing at the metal bars.

"Secrets aren't always so bad" and she looked down at her worn leather boots, stifling tears and the embarrassment of once again being so weak.

Daryl didn't say anything, he couldn't possibly say anything for the frog that had just arrived in his throat. He felt the familiar flare of anger bubble in his stomach at these new feelings he couldn't explain. He was supposed to hate this girl, hate everything about her but every day he was finding small bits of common ground with her. He had never had that before.

"I lost my brother a couple months back" and it was out before he could even reign himself in.

Amelia looked up in shock, she noticed he hadn't meant to say anything to her but she couldn't help but feel the need to know how.

"I'm sorry" she said sincerely, letting Daryl see she wasn't just a total bitch with great aim "How did he go?"

"Walker bite. Saw him gnawing on some guys chest. I put him down" and the emotion in his voice was void. He had practised that line in his head since the day of his brothers passing.

Amelia's stomach dropped the moment he had said 'I put him down', oh she knew exactly how that felt.

"I know how you feel" and Daryl knew she did, he had seen it in her face. "My camp...my guys were ambushed a year ago, I was under the Jeep fixing a leak when these guys came out of know where. Story short they all turned as I was stuck-stuck under the jeep"

"Fuck" he breathed and she looked at him then, her bottom lip trembling only a little.

"I saw my best friend reach for me, you know I was so stupid, I thought he was okay but it's when he tried to-to" and she stopped. Shaking her head she knew that Daryl didn't want to hear this, he didn't want to or need to pity her.

"You killed them all?" and she saw no judgement in his tired face.

Smiling sadly she nodded "I couldn't let them go on. I buried them too. I promised myself I would find their family and let them know"

"Hell they probably ain't even got any family now" and Daryl looked back out into the darkness.

Amelia thought about what he said for a second and she felt herself agreeing, although she didn't want to it was hard not to face reality. Amelia hadn't any family...now everyone was in the same boat.

The shift went on in a comfortable silence. Both of them thought about what eachother had said and pondered on what it was like to be one another. Daryl felt a little bit of respect to the woman that had made his life hell the past week and Amelia stopped seeing him as the enemy.

From a distance Rick had been watching the two talk, a smile as large as the sun across his face. He knew people, oh Rick really knew how they ticked and he proved that by sticking the two most damaged people next to each other. It would only be a matter of time before Amelia began to forgive all of them for what they where doing, Rick was sure of it.

Lori wouldn't die for no reason.

–

Daryl sat scoffing his breakfast down when Carl came bursting in, gun in hand and his hat in the other. Carol told him to slow down but he was in such a good mood that he couldn't and chose to ignore her.

"Daryl! Guess what?" and Daryl groaned. This kid was too much sometimes, if it wasn't him being a nosey ass or asking to look at Daryl's weapon he was moaning about how much is dad wasn't listening to him.

"What kid?" and he pushed his empty bowl away.

"Amelia said she'll teach me a few things. I'm going to be able to fight just like her" and Daryl almost choked on the food he was still chewing. Carol looked at him and they both shared a look of concern.

"That's good for you kid but don't go botherin' her now, she has things to do"

Carl could not be dissuaded today, he ignored Daryl's negative attitude and ran for the prison doors. Amelia had promised to give him a quick lesson before she helped Rick clear the traps.

–

"You do realise you're holding a gun right?" Amelia asked as she walked around the young boy who was so eager to learn. Amelia had been bugged by him in the last few days and she knew the only way to make this time go by was to keep occupied and she saw nothing wrong with teaching a little discipline.

"Yes" and he frowned at her, clearly not enjoying getting the first thing wrong infront of a crowded yard.

"Then hold it properly. Your wrist looks weak. If you've got a walker up in your face and you need to use it, it has to be firm" and she tightened his wrist for him.

"It's heavy though" he complained, his face strained.

"You'll get use to it. How are you with a knife?" and she pulled her own from her boot and twizzled it around her fingers. Carl watched in amazement and she sorta liked that.

"I'm OK I guess" and Amelia threw her knife, up in the air between them and watched his reaction. He flinched and stepped away. From the corner of her eye she could see the strain and anger in Ricks face.

"Woah!" Carl breathed.

"Look you have to own your weapon. That baby is going to save your life" and she picked it up only to pass it to Carl. He held it in amazement, his large eyes wide with wonder but his fingers twitching for expertise.

"Throw it up for me" she demanded and without thinking he threw it.

Amelia's eye's caught the tip of the blade mid flight, her brain knew that it was going to come tip down first because of the weight. Turning and pushing her wrist up, only to twist it she caught the knife with it's handle and flicked it back down to the ground, in between Carl's legs.

"Jesus..."

"He aint' going to save you kid. A knife will though" and she winked. Amelia instructed him to throw it up again but this time to watch everything she did. Carl liked what he saw, she was like a ballerina, effortlessly grabbing the sharp weapon in mid flight to cause destruction wherever it was needed.

"You're like one of those superheroes in the films I use to watch" and he tipped his hat.

"If you're determined and patient you'll be able to do all of what I can. You just have to be brave" and she bent down to his level. "Look I know you think your a man but you won't be a man until you see that fear is real and good. It's really the only weapon you need, keeps you alive" and she tapped his chest.

Carl didn't quite understand what she said, he knew that what she was saying made sense but he couldn't piece it in with his own life. Carl believed he was brave, he had done things not even his own father could do.

However Carl's wanted to learn every skill Amelia had so he could protect Judith and Beth. He would fight for them, no matter what it took.

–

From a distance Carol began fretting to Rick, she was worried about Carl, afraid that he was being taught things he shouldn't of.

"If he wants to be a man now. That's his decision Carol" Rick said tightly, ignoring the anger in her eyes.

"He's just a kid! He's not old enough to-"

"In this world Carol there isn't a chance to just be a kid. I tried to keep him from seeing the damage and from killing his-" and Rick paused, choking grief swelling in his throat "But I want him to survive this and if she is his best shot then I'm all for it"

"Lori wouldn't of wanted this" Carol said, shaking her head and looking around and the rest of the group, hoping that they would join in. Everyone looked down at their feet and she suddenly realised what Dale had felt like back at the farm. Her last option was to look at Daryl, he always agreed with her on these things but she wasn't even looking at her.

"Lori wanted Carl to beat this world" Maggie said after a few seconds of silence and she looked right into Rick's eyes. It had been a while since Lori's death but Maggie needed Rick to know what his wife's final wishes were.

Carol shook her head, her heart breaking for Carl's innocence. Oh she didn't like this, if it was her Sophia she would of done anything to protect her innocence a little longer.


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N- Hi guys! I've had such a tiring week at work but I felt bad for abandoning this story so I've updated for you. I just want to say thank you to everyone that messages, reviews and follows this story. You all mean the world to me! I wouldn't want to write if it wasn't for you. Ooh and this is getting us there to the important bits. Enjoy! and review ;)_

It's hurts to look into the sun. It's hurts to see innocence.

It was those steps that changed his perception completely. Daryl knew that the world had gone to shit a year ago but he was too busy pushing on, suriving, to really take a step back and notice. It was only when he saw Merle, crouched lazily over a body, fists tight filled with organs and flesh. It was the look of anger in Merles cloudy eyes that made Daryl truly feel alone. It was only when he lost his brother did he realise that there no help to be had. Merle wasn't supposed to go that way. Hell no, he was supposed to go in a bar fight or off his face of prescription meds and booze. Life had been so cruel.

Daryl cleared his throat, refusing to give into to his shitty emotions when there was stuff to be done. He put his cross bow down and flexed his back, it ached like a bitch but it wasn't for nothing. Three large rabbits hung from his belt, the camp would at least eat a little better now and most of his frustrations had been put at bay.

Rick passed him, slowing a little to pat him on the back. The morning shift had been hard on them both, they had to clear the traps which had proven very affective. The prison barely held walkers and it was beginning to feel like a safe haven although the smell of burning flesh was beginning to bug Daryl. Amelia had given them something at least, it had to make up for all the earache from the camp complaining that she was too much and too violent.

Pft this camp needed violence. Needed some brutal honesty. Aint' nobody going to save themselves with teddy bears and sprinkles.

"Uh hello" and then came Maggie, into Daryl's eye sight. He flinched back a little, angrily looking up at her from his eye lashes. "I've been talking to you for near ten minutes"

"Sorry" he mumbled, clearly not caring at all.

Maggie smiled softly, he had been working so hard trying to keep everything running as smoothly as it could.

"I brought you some breakfast! You need it" and she poked him in the side. Grunting he snatched the plate and began wolfing down the stale crackers.

"I hear ya getting on pretty well with Amelia. Got her doing your odd jobs" and Daryl coughed, indignantly, not enjoying the teasing.

"she ain't doing my jobs" he barked "I just tell her what to do and she gets it done"

"Okay" she said, eyeing him slightly. "She's okay isnt she? I mean once you get past the total psycho army attitude she really is somethin' for the camp"

Daryl didn't know what she was getting at nor did he really care but he wanted to get back to work so he tried to round the conversation up quickly.

"She's alright" and he shrugged.

Maggie rolled her eyes "Don't give me that Daryl. Look at her, she's a total ten and every male seems to know it" and she began glaring in Glenns direction who happened to be innocently watching Amelia tend to Carols flower bed.

"They just makin' sure they're safe. Watchin' their backs. We still don't know if we can trust this girl" and Daryl gulped slightly.

"Yeah...right" and she took Daryl's plate from him and stormed off back up to the prison.

"Fucking women"

–

Daryl had been in a foul mood all day. His head ached, his body ached, he was covered in so many cuts and bruises that all he wanted to do was crawl into his cell space and sleep. As he dragged his feet up to the prison he was confronted by a very worried Rick. Daryl always knew shit was going down when Rick got that throbbing vein in his forehead. It was almost a bad omen.

"You seen Carl?" he asked.

"No man-"

"CARL!" Rick bellowed past his face, looking into the woods, hoping to hear something.

Daryl had a seriously bad feeling, he whirled round to help look for Carl and to listen out for a small voice calling back. They heard nothing. Amelia down the path had also turned to look towards the woods, Daryl could see her expertly scanning the area and looking for possible routes he may have followed.

"He's not in the prison!" Carol shouted as she flung herself out of the prison door. Rick knew it and he began sprinting towards the perimeters, his hands reaching for his gun. Amelia however was too quick, she had bolted down, running through the gates as Maggie and Glenn opened them. Daryl followed behind, swinging his cross bow ready for action.

"DAAAAAAD!" And the scream was electrifyingly scary. Daryl saw Amelia grab for her knife in her boot and throw it into the trees without hesitation. Daryl just hoped that she had done the job and that Carl was going to be safe again. The last thing Rick needed was to lose more family.

"Rick cover me! Daryl take the back. We've got a herd" she screamed as she bolted into the heavily overgrown trees. It was only when Daryl took down two walkers did he really see the shit they had landed both feet in. Their was at least fifty snarling freaks, hurrying their dead asses towards the frightened boy with a knife. A varied group of adults that in some point in life had been nothing more than a nurse, a doctor, a dentist, a waiter, a shop assistant...

Amelia ran to his side, taking down a walker with the side of her hand, not removing her eyes from the boy.

"Carl!" she yelled as she shoved him, trying to wake him up. He blinked in terror and began to stutter some sort of response. His eye's reeling at the sight before him.

"We have to get out of here now!" Rick bellowed as he took three down. It wasn't enough, they where in on them now and there was only a few seconds left before they where swarmed. "We need to get to safety NOW"

"Rick take him. Daryl you cover them. I'll hold them off"

"Fuck no. It's too much" Daryl snarled, sending an arrow past her ear to hit the walker just behind.

"It's your best shot now fucking move" and she pushed Carl roughly into Rick, who looked eagerly outraged at her suggestion until he saw the four heading his way.

"I got this" and she pulled her knife out of the dead walkers head at her feet and began.

The last thing Daryl saw was a walker clamp his hands down on her bare shoulders.

–

It had been two hours since they had last seen her and already Daryl felt the camp begin to mourn her death. He stood by the gate waiting, cross bow at the ready to back her up as soon as he saw her sprint through those woods. Rick was on edge to, he hadn't even bothered to ask why Carl was outside of the prison as he kept look out on Daryl's left side.

"She's still out there I know it" Rick hissed to himself as he paced for the fiftieth time.

"I don't know man. There was a hell of a lot of them, they where on all of us for a minute" and Daryl tightened his grip on his bow and stared intently down it.

The wind was really picking up now and he knew for sure that a storm was coming, wiping away all of Amelia's tracks. He had come to the edge of his nerves when he saw something burst from the trees. He was almost sick.

Amelia fell onto her knees, her hair falling infront of her face but Daryl could see her alright. Blood and guts covered her entirely, ruining her pale skin as it festered on the surface. Oozing with blood and dripping tears she tried exhaustedly to stand back up but her legs gave way. Daryl and Rick without thinking both pounded the ground as they made their way to her, praying that no walkers would jump out with her. If they could just reach her she would be okay, nothing bad would of happened and they could retreat back to safety.

The storm had decided to make a show, rough wind and rain suddenly battered down the prison as if it was trying to make the two frightened mens mission even harder. Daryl pushed on, ignoring the pain in his back as he made it through the first fence.

His eye's were still on her frail figure. The light blue top she wore was ripped to shreds, showing her stomach. The jeans that she wore where battered and smothered in the deads blood and her dark hair was black with blood. Daryl felt like all the air had been ripped from within him.

It was only when they made it to the last gate did two walkers stumble from the opening of the forest. Daryl heard Rick scream Amelia's name, he screamed for her to move, for her to get up and run but she couldn't. Amelia was nothing but a shell, her energy spent up. Daryl without thinking had already had his bow ready and fired a bow right into one of the walkers rotting shoulders. It stumbled with a groan, it's teeth still snapping for warm flesh.

"Amelia get up! Run!" Rick yelled again as they made their way down the bank.

Amelia looked up at them then, her eye's empty and her fate showing clearly in her face. Daryl felt like this was the way he was supposed to watch her die in that very moment. Everyone he loved had gone the same way. She was looking at him as he breathlessly pushed on, she was trying to mouth something to him.

One of the walkers lurched forward and grabbed her shoulder, it's fingers gouging into her soft flesh with a ferocity that was wilder than a mountain bear. Amelia screamed loudly but still no energy or adrenalin made it to her body as she twisted onto the ground.

Daryl fired his last bow into it's skull as Rick took care of the other one with his hand gun. Both stood five foot away from her looking down at the bodies, tangled with one another but it was Rick who made the first move.

Amelia's eye's began to close as the heavy rain hit her face, coating her dark eye lashes. Rick grabbed her, trying to stem the bleeding in her shoulders and Daryl quickly snapped out of it and grabbed her by the other arm. Amelia was in a bad way, he could tell by the way she was breathing.

"Daryl" she mumbled.

"Shut up woman. Let us get you back to the prison then you can yap my ears off" he joked as they began a light jog. Afraid that their was more walkers behind them and that she wasn't going to make it.

"I have to save the kid...the kid and the baby. I have to. Let me" but he didn't have time to think about what she was saying. The storm was picking up and soon lightening would be threatening the prison fields and woods, leaving them open to more tragedy.

"I'll get Hershel to look at her but Daryl she's in a bad way. We're going to need antibiotics"

"I'll make a run as soon as we get her back"

"No. You stay with her. Glenn and Maggie will go"


	12. Chapter 12

When life kicks you down.

"_You're going to make a fine soldier"_

"_I told you to drop and give me fifty now get on that damn ground and give me FIFTY!"_

"_You gotta' just take it in kid. The sooner your trained the better you'll be"_

"_Fuck Amelia what was that for? I was only asking ya' on a date woman no need to knock my teeth into my throat"_

"_No matter what this world fucking pushes on us we got this. We will take every one of these fuckers down, even if we have to go with em'! HOORAAH!"_

The chatter of loud voices in her head became unbearable as she was slowly pulled into another dream, her subconscious refusing to give in and wanting to take her attention to moments that she had tried so hard to forget. All the pain of the past twenty five years came flooding back, hitting her chest and shoulders like a train without a driver.

"_I just gotta' call. We're going into Atlanta in thirty minutes. There's been an outbreak, some sort of wild cannibals roaming the streets. We have to hit hard and rescue civilians before they nuke it" Kyle, the leader said as he began quickly packing his bag._

_Amelia eyed him suspiciously, they knew how much of an idiot he could be, getting them all riled up for missions._

"_Pull the other one!" Andy Joked as he sat on the Jeep._

"_I'm not fucking kidding. Shit's going down" and that's when they all stopped to look at one another. He really was telling the truth, just by the look of terror written across their leaders face._

_Amelia felt a little sick. "What are they saying it is?"_

"_They wouldn't give me much" he looked right at her "but they said it's spreading like an infection. This is a big deal A"_

_Amelia had dealt with tough things, they had once been sent into the desert with no supplies and limited amo to take down fifty terrorists threatening America but this wasn't controlled. This disease was already out there now, like in all the horror stories she had watched and she knew it had to be real bad if they were calling in there their special services._

The dream changed quickly, dark black lines blurring her vision as she slipped into another one so effortlessly, she hated this part. It always came back to haunt her, she'll always remember the smell, the fire, the screams and the guttural moans of the roaming dead.

"_Kyle this hallway is too fucking dark. We need an exit, now" she hissed to him as they slowly made their way down a hospital corridor. Their where beds and bloody bandages everywhere but no human activity so far. Amelia was hoping it was just a small outbreak that would be able to be obtained quickly until she saw Kyle stop._

_Kyle began to shuffle backwards, forcing her to go with him and everyone behind her._

"_Fucccccck!" he whispered, Amelia looked quickly around him and found his light shining brightly against five snarling people covered in blood and guts. Their mouths were slightly open in amazement at them but their eye's blood shot with hunger._

"_Special unit. You have been order to fire at will. No one is allowed to escape that hospital. Nobody. Out" came the loud crackle over all of their radios._

_The enemy suddenly lurched and Amelia was already firing shots expertly at their heads, hoping to quickly end their attack._

"_What the fuck is going on man!? Rob the second in command of the unit called from the rear. Just as he had finished a young healthy nurse came running towards them, screaming for them to help her but Kyle had already had his orders._

_He put her down without a second glance._

"_You heard what they said. Lets get this done and lets get the fuck out of here" and it was like Kyle had called upon the bad omens as a rush of blood thirsty freaks burst through a door behind them. It was Chris who became their first casualty as one ran at him, her mouth gripping his thick arms muscles and tearing the muscle away from the bone. Chris gurgled a scream as the rest attacked his throat and chest. Amelia felt sick rise from her stomach until Kyle grabbed her arm and pulled her._

_Amelia felt her palms begin to sweat as they made a break for it. Their was no amount of skills that could of helped them win that fight._

_Kyle was trying hopelessly to find an exit when he saw a light blue door with a hospital bed blocking the front._

"_That's not the exit man!" Amelia yelled, she saw the shape and knew it was a patients room "Keep going down and then left" she hissed as she followed the instructions on the hospital ceiling._

_It felt like they had been running forever in the dark. This had possibly been the worst decision their leaders had ever made for the small unit and she was suddenly hating her job. Tightening her grip on Kyle she urged him on, her found the exit tied with black plastic ties put her pushed past them with fierce strength._

_They all stumbled out into the light, blinded by the brightness but hyper aware of their surroundings._

"_Oh shit" Andy breathed as they all looked to the sky, huge blobs of billowing smoke surrounded Atlanta as the army began dropping bombs. Nuclear bombs. Amelia knew the problem was far to great to be solved now. It was all going to shit._

"_We need a plan Kyle. We need to get back to the Jeep and get into the woods. This shit is out of our hands" Rob said as he locked the hospital door from the outside._

"_Right lets do that. Keep your eyes peeled and do not lose your partner. If you see anything holler"_

Amelia felt her back arch with pain and her shoulders being pulled but she couldn't escape the next dream that was pulling her painfully back in.

_They had been running for half an hour, only slowly to clear room from the walkers that blocked their way and Amelia was starting to feel the panic build. They had to kill a few non-infected because they had clung to the group with a need for safety but the group had their orders and had to take quick action. Amelia hadn't felt bad. It was survival._

_It was only when they where running down a alleyway when Amelia saw the most tragic thing, a little blonde girl stood in the middle clutching her teddy bear, mouth covered in blood and her face speckled with the same red substance. Amelia's heart lurched as she slowly walked up to her and placed a bullet between her eyes. No guilt. She was better off now._

_Just like her little sister._

–

Daryl watched as they painfully placed Amelia down onto her bunk. Hershel spent no time messing about as he began readying his equipment by his side and calling Carol and Maggie in to be his help.

"What happened Rick?" Hershel asked calmly as he took her temperature.

"She was out there too long, fighting them off. We found her by the small opening in the woods. She was spent" and Rick began taking his belt of and placing it by her feet. He wanted to be comfortable to help if he needed to. He felt like he had too.

"Carol I'm going to need a bowl of water, fill it will salt and get me my bag" And Carol nodded quickly before leaving the room. Daryl watched her go and just hoped she would be as quick as Hershel had asked her. This damn crazy bitch had nearly killed herself trying to save Carl.

"Their too many cuts to see if there's any real damage. Rick help me lift her shirt" and Rick didn't hesitate as he bent over and pulled the teared fabric up towards her bra line. Daryl flinched in the corner as he witnessed the thick black bruises across her ribs and stomach. They had got her so good.

Maggie had just entered the room when she was treated to a full frontal shot of black bruises, she gasped and turned to Glenn who was just behind her.

"They got her good but she doesn't have any broken ribs so that good" Hershel said as his fingers expertly prodded her sides. "Her temperature is high and I'm going to have to stitch her wounds. Maggie, Glenn I need you to get me some antibiotics and Rick I need plenty of water. Looks like she's dehydrated, exhausted and may possibly come down with an infection from the dirt and whatever this is"

Everybody scrambled to do their jobs but Daryl felt himself rooted to the spot, daring down at her in pure wonder. How had she survived that attack? When it only took one walker to tear down T-dog. Amelia stood at five foot four and didn't look like she had much muscle, she was slim and agile but she had to be something else to have done what she did.

Carol burst into the room, not flinching at Amelia's obvious bruises as she bent down with Hershel and getting to work. They cleaned her up first, wiping down her face and neck, trying to put her hair up but their was too much and Carol gave up. Hershel began cleaning her wounds, trying to determine how deep they where and he watched as Hershel found the one on her shoulder. It would definitely scar.

Maggie and Glenn had already left the prison on their run as Rick came into the room carrying a large bowl full of water. Rick looked at Daryl for a second and wondered why he was staring so intently and it dawned on him quickly that Daryl felt this girl was now a part of his group.

Rick only hoped she survived the night.

"This aint' good Rick. This poor woman took a real beating" Hershel said disapprovingly as he shoved bloodied gauze into Carols hands.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. From what you described it sounds like she threw herself into the ground for your boy" and Rick grimaced painfully. He still hadn't asked Carl why he had been out in the woods in the first place.

"Why is she doing that?" Daryl asked and they all turned around to find Amelia arching her back, her breath suddenly fading. Rick's hand twitched for his gun that lay on the prison cell floor.

"Daryl I need you to hold her down!" Hershel yelled as Amelia suddenly began to fit, her body jolting rapidly against the thin mattress. Hershel knew not to hold her down but the small space meant she would do more damage.

Daryl tried his hardest to keep her down but it was like she was fighting him, she burned his skin again as he tried to focus on the task at hand but he just wanted to fix her. To pull her in and fix her. Carol whimpered behind him, clearly distraught by the sight in front of her. Amelia suddenly stopped and her body fell back into the bed, her cuts oozing fresh blood. They started again, patiently keeping an eye on her as they did so.

Rick was in charge of giving her small bits of water through her closed mouth and helping her to swallow. Hershel was impatient, he needed to make sure dehydration wasn't going to be on her list of injuries. Rick looked down at the woman's face that had saved her son and suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of strength. He was no longer being drowned by the depths of sorrow. It was an odd mix.

Daryl didn't like the way Rick was staring at her so he took the cup and told him to go check on little as kicker and Carl. Rick nodded eagerly, he wanted to check on his children to make sure they were both okay but also to stop the new wave of guilt engulfing him.

"Are you going to be okay to watch her tonight?" Hershel asked Daryl slowly, unsure on how he felt on Amelia.

"I've been doing it for the past week aint' I?" he snarled back, not meaning to have the venom in his voice. Hershel nodded, not wanting to get into an argument with the young man.

"It was so stupid us leavin' her like that. We could of all got out of there. There was no need for her to act like a damn fool" and he put the cup down.

"Sounds to me like she was trying to make herself a real member of this group, by protecting the boy"

"She doesn't even want to be here" he snapped back, daring him to have an answer.

"Could of fooled me'


	13. Chapter 13

A/N- Hey guys! EXTRA long chapter for you all today. I would like to say a huge thank you to all of the people that have favourited this story and reviewed. You all bloody rocked. Keep doing your thing and I'll keep writing. This is for you all who've wanted to see a little more Daryl ;)

I saw your eyes and I felt peace.

It was only when they had left her did she truly feel alone in the world. Her enemy, distinct and ready to tear her limb from limb stared down upon her. If this was Gods test she was going to show him just where to shove it. Slamming her knife into the freak snarling for her neck she began.

It never ended. Amelia would run to avoid a build up and to try and cleverly take them down but their numbers meant there was always a walker fresh on her tail. They snarled at her, not caring that she had feelings, that she was alive, that they had nearly killed a young innocent. They didn't have a care in the world and in that moment she was terrified. A reflection of herself beamed out of the herd. Amelia had once not cared about mindlessly killing. It had been drilled into her from the age of 10. It was normal to fight an enemy for someone right?

As she fell to the ground, three walkers clawing down onto her she began to feel a rage fill from within the barriers of her heart. Flashes of all the people she had lost because of these fucking creatures hit her chest, winding her but fuelling her to fight. Fight for that man with the two young children who already lost so much, so they wouldn't end up like her. Fight for Daryl Dixon who had lost his brother. Fight for Carol who had lost her baby. Fight for Hershel who had lost his wife.

Kicking with all her might she sent them all flying, flicking her hair over her shoulder she twisted her only weapon.

"Oh you think your better than me huh? You think you have what it takes to take me down? Fuck you" she hissed and ran towards towards them.

–

"She's been asleep for three days Hershel. Surely you can do something?" Rick asked impatiently as they stood over Amelia's sleeping self.

"I don't want to wake her if her body isn't ready. She's going to be weak Rick and at least she's healing this way" and Hershel leant down to check her temperature, resting his stump on the side of her bed.

Rick leaned against the wall and pushed his hand through his hair, clearly upset that Amelia hadn't woken up. Rick wasn't happy with Carl either who had gone out of the camp looking to find food, just like Daryl did but with his new set of skills.

Daryl was stood awkwardly in the door, he hadn't slept in three days and he tendered to her. Making sure she was hydrated and comfortable which oddly seemed like second nature to him but as soon as others walked into the cell he was same old Daryl. Awkwardly stood in the door frame like he didn't want to be there.

"Her temperature is normal which is good. It means no sickness" Hershel smiled as he gently placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

It was like a surge of energy had passed between Amelia and Hershel as her eye's suddenly snapped open and she grabbed his hand roughly. Hershels eye's popped alarmingly and Rick was kneeling by her side, trying to pry her.

"It's okay! It's okay you're safe. It's just us" he soothed as he pulled her hand away.

Amelia blinked rapidly, looking between the three men in the room, not understanding or remembering briefly where she was.

"I'm going to be sick" and she leaned over the bed and vomited all over Rick's boots.

"Welcome back" he said as he patted her back, disgust and relief in his features.

Daryl was already there with a container of water and she happily took it from him, quickly wiping her mouth and downing it's contents. Amelia was in serious amounts of pain that she felt constant waves of sickness as she leant back against the wall.

"Is this hell? I feel like it's hell" she mumbled.

"You look like hell" Daryl mumbled and she laughed.

"Amelia your body is under a lot of stress. You have a serious amount of injuries, no broken bones but you need to rest now" Hershel patted her leg as he watched Rick slowly walk out of the room, trying not to spread the mess.

"What I need is a drink"

"I got that for ya" Daryl jumped in, holding a bottle of vodka that he had been carrying for a while. He felt relieved that he could now see the dark green eyes of hers.

"Thanks" she laughed "Maybe after I've brushed my teeth and combed my hair" and she looked down at herself and winced. Nearly shirtless and pantless she looked at her many bruises and lost count almost instantly.

"Am I okay to shower doc?" she asked him, smiling gently trying to ease his worry.

Daryl raised an eyebrow at her sudden change in attitude. He felt a little lost, he really liked it when she was a bitch, and this sudden change made him realise that.

"Ah..."

"I'll take it slow" she offered.

"Okay but one of the women go with you. It has to be quick and I want you back in this bed straight away. You hear girl?"

Amelia nodded "Yes sir but Daryl comes with. You can count on that" and she sat up, wincing.

"Take it easy!" Daryl snarled at her, trying to hide his sudden embarrassment at the questioning look on Hershels face.

"Shut up " and she looked at Hershel "I'm going to need a bit of strength behind me if I slip on my ass" He just nodded, grabbed his crutches and left the room.

"You look like bloody hell. Have you slept at all?" Amelia asked him as he gently placed an arm under her.

"You can talk. You look like shit" he hissed back.

"You're always so nice" and she yelped a little as he caught a bruise on her rib. "Fuck they did a number on me didn't they?"

"Well your stupid stubborn ass could of saved yourself the trouble if you'd of come with us"

"Ah you knew the situation and plus I did good. I got one up on those fuckers too. Hows Carl, is he okay?"

Daryl scoffed as they slowly made their way down the cell stairs, passing by a few people that stared at Amelia like she had just risen from the depths of hell. It annoyed them that the woman who had just saved the camp another trauma was being treated so bad.

"He's alright. He was tryna' hunt when that herd found him. He owes you his life"

"Damn right he does. Wait until I see him" she hissed nastily, remembering just how much shit Carl had dropped her in. The boy she didn't care too much for a few days ago, she wished she hadn't tried to help. "How long we got until we're there?" she moaned.

"Just a few seconds. I'll wait outside and you holla if you need anything"

Amelia shook her head, her disgusting hair sticking to the back of her neck. "I'm going to need you in there. Woah calm your self! I just need you incase I fall. You keep your back turned of course Herbert"

Daryl couldn't be bothered to argue as they entered the dimly lit room. There was already a fresh set of clothes there and Amelia felt a sense of relief at the soft linen she spotted. Her clothes at the minute where dirty and tight.

Amelia hobbled on her own towards the shower and winced as she catched herself.

"You good?" Daryl asked.

"No" she laughed as she turned the shower on and began slowly peeling her clothes away. Low moans echoed around the small room and she didn't care if she looked weak. The pain was burning in every part of her body and this was the only way she could cope with it.

The water hit her skin hard but she was so happy to see all of the blood run down her body towards the holes in the floor, she turned to grab the small bottle of shampoo when her right leg went weak, she fell suddenly, her heard hitting the the wall.

Amelia screamed loudly as every part of her body hit the tiled floor. Daryl turned instantly, running to her and fall underneath the head spurting water. He grabbed for her, pulling her naked wet body against him as he quickly checked her head for any wounds. Amelia was crying into his chest, trying to banish the pain from her body.

"I-I-can't" she breathed into his chest.

Daryl suddenly caught himself in the moment and blushed massively. His skin burned as he felt her. Daryl had never really seen a woman naked before, he had never let himself get into that situation. No matter how hard Merle had pushed. Everything was burning him and for a few seconds he stopped breathing. Daryl felt her go limp in his arms.

"Stop trying to be strong" he hissed, still holding her as they got soaked together.

"I thought I could do it" and Daryl leaned over to grab her towel. She quickly placed it on her front as he looked to the side. Once he was sure he was covered he began washing her hair, without even asking. He placed the light scented liquid into her hair and began massaging it gently.

"I can't believe this" she whispered as the tears of pain ran down her face.

Daryl didn't say anything as he worked, too afraid that if he did then it would seem far to real for him to deal with. He just wanted to get this over as soon as possible to try and get some normality back. Amelia wasn't even going to stay, she would leave in a few days and he would be okay.

As he slowly rinsed her hair he felt her go weak against him "Nearly done, just try and stay up for me. I'll get you back" he promised and she slowly nodded. Happy to have him help but uneasy that she was half naked against him. Amelia didn't know the guy that was being so nice to her but right now she needed him and that really hurt her ego. Another like to add to her list of injuries.

Daryl let her get ready on her own. Both of them far to embarrassed to look at eachother. The intimate setting had gone now as they slowly made their way back to the prison block.

"How ya doing Amelia?" Maggie asked as they entered the make shift kitchen. Everyone slowly eye'd Daryl Dixon who was soaked to the bone.

"Oh you know. I'm just peachy, a bruised peach that is"

Maggie nodded sadly as she eyed her fresh bruises and shoulders full of neat stitches. Carol tried to smile at her but it was the pity in Carols eyes that had annoyed Amelia so she ignored her. Rick was eating his dinner, eyeing both her and Daryl slowly.

"Where's Carl?" Amelia asked as Daryl placed her down across from Rick.

"He's in his cell. Look Amelia he's really sorry that he put you-"

"CARL GET YOUR YELLOW BELLY SPOTTED ASS OUT OF THAT DAMN CELL INTO THIS KITCHEN RIGHT NOW!" She screamed angrily, ignoring all the pain.

Carl was down the stairs like a shot, his eye's looking down at the ground as he quickly came. Rick was up on his feet, defensive and protective over his boy. Amelia rolled her eyes at him.

"Walk closer boy" she hissed.

"Now Amelia-"

"Shut up Rick" she hissed without taking her eyes off of the young terrified boy. Carl took a step closer to her, so close that she reached out and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. Rick reached for his weapon. Carol gasped. Glenn twitched and Hershel tried to stand. No one was to hurt the boy.

"How are you?" she asked him quickly.

Carl looked up at her quickly, he was blinking away tears as he tried to work her out.

"I-i'm okay. I'm real sorry about-" Amelia cut him off with a hug, the first hug she had ever given in her entire life. Amelia remembered the look of terror in his eyes and it brought tears to her own face.

"You look at me, that it's look at me Carl. You don't ever do that to your dad again okay? You had us all worried. I aint' mad at you. I'm happy you're safe and plus you let me get a bit of practise in" she winked at him then and pushed his little chin.

He let out a relieved laugh and hugged her back.

"I am sorry. I knew it was stupid. I won't do it again I promise. I just wanted to help" and she understood him. Amelia had been that eager child once, trying to prove herself to people that doubted her because of her age.

"It was stupid but you know that now. Just so you know you're going to be my little lackey until I can move" she joked, pushing him down into the seat next to her.

The whole room was in shock. They weren't entirely sure what had just happened. They expected her to scream at him until she passed out but it was like she was catching up with her best friend. Carl looked like the weight he had been carrying on his shoulders had lifted but he wasn't blind to the pain the woman that saved his life was in.

Rick slowly sat back down across from them as Carol placed a bowl full of stew infront of Amelia.

"How did you do it?" Carl asked in sudden amazement at her survival.

"I don't know kid. I just kept pushing them back, taking them down. I don't really remember it" and she took a small bite of her stew and groaned. Even the inside of her mouth hurt. Hershel shook his head.

"There was atleast fifty!" he exclaimed.

"Don't remind me!" she joked, shoving him slightly. "I have to admit they nearly got me. Hell it feels weird just being here" and she looked down into her stew.

"You were so brave" Maggie said as she sat down next to her and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. Amelia winced and Daryl was there, removing Maggies hand.

"Sorry! I just-"

"It's okay!"Amelia flapped her hands. "I'm okay. Just a little sore. I'll be okay in a few days right Hershel?" and she looked at him for some help. He nodded slowly, still taking in the way Daryl jumped to her defence.

Beth then walked in carrying a little bundle of pink, looking incredibly tired but happy to see Amelia awake. Amelia gulped when she saw a little hand come out of the bundle of blankets. It was going so well...

"How is she?" Carol asked Beth as she took the little ones hand.

"Settled now. I think she just needed winding" And Beth smiled. It was odd seeing such a young girl take on such womanly duties.

Beth walked over to Amelia then, eager to try and cheer her up by introducing her to the baby. Beth knew Amelia still hadn't met their youngest member and thought it would be a good way to cheer her up. Everyone loved babies.

Amelia flinched back. "Ah. I think it's time I was getting some rest"

"Wait. You haven't met Judith yet" and she leaned down so that Amelia got a full view of the beautiful little child sleeping in her arms. Amelia's breath caught in her throat and her eye's began to water.

"Daryl will you help me?" and she stood up too quickly, her legs giving way as his arms reached out to grab her.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N- Hi guys! Just a quick hello to everyone that has decided to follow this story! thank you. Also a huge thank you to those that review this story after every chapter. You guys seriously make my day a hell of a lot better. Reviews mean longer chapters and possibly two a day so you know what to do!

Walkers galore.

Amelia had been trying to fall asleep for a while now but the pain in her torso was far to great. It burned within every nerve as she lay down and she only found little bits of comfort when she sat up. Wincing she slipped on her coat and made her way into the little space where she knew Daryl slept. Amelia wasn't going to wake him, hell he hadn't slept in days but she didn't want to be on her own in pain. He looked almost angelic as he slept, hair covering his eyes, an arm over his stomach. It was odd to see him so vulnerable. Amelia had been putting off working him out for nearly two weeks, maybe it was because she saw bits of herself in him or maybe it was because she was starting to like-

"What're you doing watching me woman?" he hissed and she froze, mid step. Caught like a mouse in a trap. Blushing a little she immediately appreciated the lack of electricity.

"Don't flatter yourself Dixon. Go back to sleep!" she hissed back, trying to walk past him to the stairs. Her skin still felt like it was on fire.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked groggily.

"Er I just couldn't- you know being a sleep for three days was enough for me" she lied.

"You're in pain" he accused.

Amelia scoffed as she took the first step, her back to him now. "I'm okay. No more than usual. Go back to sleep you bloody redneck before you wake everyone" he grumbled, too tired to argue. Amelia wondered as she took the few steps why he chose to sleep on the floor when there was plenty of cells. It was all too much for her sleep deprived brain to take when she spotted Rick, head in hands at the communal tables.

"Can't sleep too?" she asked, taking a seat next to him. He jumped slightly as he looked at her, his eye's blood shot.

"Something like that. How are you feeling?" and he really looked at her.

"Like death" and he winced "Ah well not that far off" she laughed softly, pulling her coat around her tighter suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Rick nodded slowly and this was the first indication to Amelia that he wasn't a man with words, more of action and she understood suddenly why he had become their leader. People respected actions a lot more even if they didn't want to.

"Thank you for coming for me. If it wasn't for you and Daryl-"

"What!?" he breathed, eye's wide with an emotion she wasn't sure of. Amelia thought people loved it when you thanked them. That's how this thing was going to work right? She was going to build ties with these people.

_That's why you're already thinking about the quickest way to bolt._

"Amelia you saved my son. You risked your own life for someone you barely even knew. You put your neck out on the line. It was the least I could do" he wanted her to understand, needed her too just as much.

"I knew what I was doing Rick. I'd been trained from a young age to fight for those I thought innocent. It wasn't a big deal" and Rick suddenly grasped her hand, scaring her a little and making her itch for the knife in her boot.

"It was a big deal to us. You let us win for one day. If my wife was he she would of said that you were a miracle with a potty mouth" and his expression saddened dramatically.

Amelia suddenly felt bad, she had been so selfish with the demands for them to let her go without really thinking about how much all these people had really suffered. Rick wanted her there so badly because he saw the light at the end of the tunnel plastered across her pale skin, she was just what they needed.

Amelia timidly put a hand on his, forgetting for a second all of her mental weaknesses and selfish thoughts and remembering all the bad she had done in her life. Yeah the world had gone to shit but as bad as it sounded maybe these people were what she needed to. Only being with them a week and a half had taught her how to be a nicer person, how to do good...

"I want to stay. If that's okay with you Rick..."

Amelia watched as Rick's grim expression turned to one of elation, he leapt up, suddenly taken with his emotions and pulled her into the tightest hug.

"Fuck Rick!" she screamed, pain scorching her once again.

"Oh sorry!" he breathed, no deterred from his happiness. "You're going to like it here Amelia. We can do so much for eachother"

Amelia wheezed "Not if you ruin my damn bloody ribs" and she sat back down, hands clutching herself.

"I'm sorry. Do you want me to get Hershel?" he asked, ready to move.

"No damn it. I want you to sit bloody down. I have a few questions I'd like to ask first"

Rick sat down, eyeing her as he did, he was wondering what possible questions she could have for him. He was sure he had covered all of his bases already.

"Okay...shoot"

"What's your second name?" And Rick began to laugh, it was funny that he had suddenly worked himself up just for her to ask simple questions.

"Grimes"

"What was your occupation before the world went to shit?"

"I was a cop"

Amelia nodded, her suspicions had been correct.

"How did you meet Daryl Dixon?" And Rick suddenly stopped, curious as to why she had suddenly jumped to the more personal questions. Rick had been trained as a young office to treat everything suspiciously and this was no exception.

"He was at the camp I joined when I was reunited with my wife" Amelia nodded accepting that he was telling the truth. Amelia didn't want to know the full story just the jist, she could normally tell if someone was lying to her straight away.

"Did you meet everyone else in this camp by circumstance?"

"Yes pretty much"

Amelia was happy with the general bit of information she had just heard and knew if anything pressing about the group was to come out it would be later on when the camp was comfortable around her. The pain that had been radiating around Amelia's body was starting to let up and she knew that it was time to get a little bit of sleep in before it started up again. Plus Hershel promised to check up on her in the morning and she didn't want him telling her off for not getting a decent nights sleep.

"I should really go get some sleep now. Thanks for answering" and she stood up, Rick with her too.

"Do you want me to help you back to your cell?"

"Nah I'm okay. I'm a tough girl plus you need to go get yourself a good nights sleep too Rick. You'll be dead on your feet soon"

Amelia walked away content that this place wasn't going to be so bad.

–

Daryl had woken with a start in the morning. He had over slept and also had a dream that he was being chased by Merle, the walker version of Merle and it left him sour. It had been fuckin' ages trying to push that image out of his head but it always came back. Daryl quickly dressed, ready to meet with Rick in the prison yard when he happened to look over into Amelia's cell.

He found her wrapped up in a blanket, probably Hershel's doing, comfortable and serene but heavily covered in black and purple bruises. Her hair was sprawled across the thin pillow, her hand just below her chin.

Daryl wanted to ask her about that day they had come to her rescue, about that one look in her face that he couldn't and probably wouldn't forget but he knew what she had done for them. He was going to give her the space she needed to get better. It didn't mean he wasn't going to ask.

–

"She said she'll stay? Hell I thought that was the last thing she wanted after how bruised up that close call left her" Daryl breathed as he unpacked the pick up of Glenn and Maggie's new finds for little ass kicker.

"I guess she saw something in us" Glenn said, grabbing a Moses basket from Rick.

"It'll be good to have some expertise in this camp and to not be so open. T-dog and Michonne left a gap in our defences"

"That girl is nothing short of a miracle I say. The way she handled herself out there is just what we need" Maggie agreed, smiling at Daryl.

Daryl didn't like it and suddenly turned away, trying to find something to do. He focused his hands on a box full of tinned goods when the conversation took a deeper detour.

"It was strange seeing her so nice to Carl yesterday. I thought she was going to throttle him" Glenn joked, looking at Rick to see his reaction on the whole thing. Daryl wasn't thinking about how nice she had been to Carl, he was thinking about what had happened in the shower. The way her body fell into his, the way she felt, the way she smelled, the way he just wanted to-

Rick shook his head "It's how she does things. We have to accept that"

"Carol doesn't seem too eager to accept it" Maggie said, hands on her hips as she looked out onto the prison grounds.

"Carol hasn't had to deal with anything like this before. She'll come around" Rick said.

"I'm not too sure Rick. Like the look on her face whenever Amelia enters a room is enough evidence you need. I think you should talk to her" Glenn said, putting his arm around Maggie, silently backing her up.

"It aint' up to Carol anyways now if you sissy's done talking there is shit to do and not enough daylight to do it in" Daryl barked, ignoring there curious looks as he took two boxes of tinned food back up to the prison.

"Everyone's so damn obsessed" he mumbled to himself as he pushed through the doors.

"Did you say something Daryl?" Carol asked as she ran to help take one of the boxes off him.

"No. You must be hearin' things old lady" he snapped, not quite sure why he was so angry with her all of a sudden.

"Okay what's got you all up tight in a ball of anger?" she chastised, not enjoying his sudden anger towards her.

"Nothin' just damn tired of doing all the work around here"

"Well you have your new friend Amelia to help carry the load now" she said, sarcastically.

Daryl spun around to face her, taking in her innocent eyes but not forgetting how sharp her tongue could be when she was angry. Daryl remembered the talking down to she had given Rick and how out of line she had been.

"Don't start with me cause' you've got beef with her. Go tell her yourself!" he yelled.

"Whatever" she threw her hand sin the air, not having anything left to say to him and suddenly realising how petty and childish she was being. Carol turned her back on him and walked over to the little basket that held a sleeping Judith in.

"It was you who stopped me being an outsider in this group now you want Amelia to stay like one? Pft woman your brain is nonsense" he ended the conversation bitterly, choosing for her to let his last words sink in.


	15. Chapter 15

**PLEASE READ-** Some part of this chapter may cause distress so if you're sensitive please do not read on. I would also just like to say a special thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. You all rock my socks off! I also am wondering if any of you spotted the clue in Amelia's past hospital visit?

Have fun reading and review! Lets get to 20.

Daryl Dixon, touch my pain.

The pain she was woken with was troublesome, as soon as she opened her green eye's she was hit with an uncontrollable wave of searing muscle pain. To top it off, all of her bruises had turned a deep shade of yellow and her stitches were starting to itch. Amelia was healing though and she couldn't have been more pleased. Not being able to do normal things without wincing was beginning to wear thin. Hershel came by just after she had gotten ready to check her stitches and gave her the all clear of any infections. It didn't take him to long to bring up the conversation she had with Rick the night before.

"I heard you're going to be staying with us" and she saw his moustache twitch a little "Welcome to our humble abode" he joked, pulling on her stitches. Amelia winced as she tried to smile at him.

"It was inevitable really, wasn't it?"

"Sure was. I knew as soon as I set eyes on you that you weren't going anywhere" and with that he pulled himself up with his crutches and left the tiny dark cell. Amelia shook her head, she felt like she hadn't quite woken up properly. It was probably best if she went to see how the others were taking the news that she was staying. As soon as she left her little cell she was bombarded with questions from Beth and Carl, both begging to help her down the stairs. Amelia gritted her teeth, not quite a morning person as she grabbed both of their arms. They continued to talk at her until she got into the make shift kitchen area.

"Look guys! I'm staying, I'm here to help you out now can you help me out and fix me some breakfast? Kinda in pain here" she breathed as she took the seat in between Maggie and Carol.

Carl nodded eagerly as he pulled Beth to the side and they began fixing Amelia porridge, their hushed tones excited.

"How're you feeling today?" Maggie asked as she eyed the bruises on Amelia's throat.

"I'm Ok. Had worse" and she looked to Carol, who's eye's hadn't left her bruised arms as soon as she sat down. Carol caught the stare and turned her attention back to her breakfast.

"You're healing really well and daddy said those stitches will come out real soon. Plus it's good to hear you're staying. You'll fit right in here" Maggie smiled as she pushed her bowl away.

"I hope they do! I've never had stitches before. I was always so careful" and Amelia grimaced. In all her years of fighting and training she had never gotten herself into so much bodily damage. The realisation of her bruises and cuts made her want to run outside and begin training.

"Seriously!?" Maggie looked so surprised.

"In my line of work I had to be coy, careful and collected. Their was no room for going in guns blasting" and she grinned, she really did love her job.

Maggie nodded, her eye's still wide not quite wanting to believe that the bruised up woman next to her was such a tactful fighter. Maggie was just about to ask another question when Carol butted in.

"Amelia, what's your second name? I feel like everyone has forgotten their manners in the rush of welcoming you" and Amelia heard the sarcasm and the hidden agenda but didn't let it show. Carol had been so nice to her only last week. Amelia was trying to think back to any moment that she may have upset the woman.

Amelia gritted her teeth just as Carl and Beth came to the table, carrying her breakfast. It was incredibly hard for a woman so private just to reveal small parts of her identity when she was so used to being a nobody.

"Princely, Amelia Princely" and she gouged their reaction once her name had exited her lips. Most people, would of made a comment but nobody said anything.

To make the whole situation worse, Tyreese and his angry looking wife rushed into the kitchen with obvious signs of hearing Rick's news and made a bee line for her. Amelia wasn't worried, bruised and battered she could handle these two easily. It's just she didn't really have that much effort for these people.

"I thought it was a joke when Rick said you were staying but here you are" Tyreese started, his tone dark with anger.

"Yep. Here I am." she replied sarcastically, looking up at his towering figure, a small dark smile on her face.

"Don't you think you should do us all a favour and just leave?"

"Hey don't talk to her like that! We want her to stay" Beth jumped in, her eye's wide with teenage angst. Carl nodded his approval and stepped infront of them both. Maggie stood up.

"Tyreese now calm down. Rick and all of us wants Amelia to stay. Don't get throwing assumptions around to please yourself!"

Tyreese grunted angrily and Amelia watched his knuckles stretch the skin of his hands. He really was mad and his wife was mirroring his exact emotion.

"Carol you don't even want her here! Speak up" and Amelia turned to Carol then, a little hurt that she had actually said that. Carol went red and put her head down, refusing to stand on her own two feet and own what she said.

"Now listen here Tyreese and wife" Amelia spat "You can either get out my face and go speak to Rick about this or I can get in your face and remind you why it's not a good idea to fuck with me" and she kept her face strong "bruised up or not I can still fuck with your world"

Carl barked with laughter and almost had to choke it back with the scornful look Tyreese's wife was throwing him. Even Maggie looked as if she was going to laugh.

"This ain't over. None of us are safe while you're here!" he spat as he grabbed his wife and made a break for the prison doors. Amelia shrugged her shoulders, pushed her uneaten breakfast towards Carol and stood up herself. Amelia refused to be around someone so intent on disliking her without a reason. She wouldn't simply put herself in trivial situations.

"I'm going to get some fresh air" she said to the open room.

"Can I come? I can help you, make sure you have someone to rest on" Carl said, eager to help with his daddy's hat on.

"Sure" she groaned, not quite understanding how to say no to the small boy.

–

Carl and Amelia had been sat in the prison yard for an hour, just idly talking about what they missed about the world before it went to shit and Amelia noted that he was very eager to learn everything about her. Carl felt good when he found similarities between himself and her, like it was his step closer to being just like her, the protective figure.

"You need a hair cut!" she laughed as she pulled his hat off. Carl shrugged, liking his long hair, it made him look older and he liked that.

"I'm not the only one! Daryl's is longer than mine!" and he pointed to the man across the field who was clearing out the walker traps. Amelia inwardly groaned, things were getting incredibly awkward with her and Daryl. He made her feel so vulnerable, his eye's and face just held so much knowing and so much experience that she hadn't had and she didn't like that. Plus she had nakedly cried on him in the shower.

Amelia's face tinged with a little pink.

Glenn came from behind them, sweaty and dirty from helping Rick and Daryl.

"The two ninjas together" he joked as he took a seat next to Carl.

"Shut up Glenn!" Carl laughed making Glenn pull him into a brotherly head lock. Amelia rolled her eye's at their relationship, it was just too cute for her. As the boys continued to argue about who was the best superhero/supervillian from the past world Amelia's eye's landed on Rick and Daryl walking towards them. Both sweaty and tired from securing the prison.

"They holding up okay?" she asked.

Daryl grunted in response, it was Rick who decided to answer her "Sure are. We're keeping this place clear thanks to them. Feels and looks safer" and he smiled down at his son, who was looking up at his with an odd expression.

"Freaks don't know what hit em' when we came for em'" And Daryl flexed his shoulder muscles, the weight of his bow had clearly shown today.

"I'll check them tomorrow. Keep the maintenance good on them we won't need to make more"

"No. You ain't fit to go anywhere" Daryl argued, scowling at her.

"I'm fine" she snapped, sick of being in the prison grounds.

"Alright guys. This stuff can wait until tomorrow" and Amelia scowled at Rick for not clearly understanding her needs, she needed to do something with her hands before she went mad with boredom.

–

It was only when things had gotten tense at dinner between Tyreese and Rick did Daryl drag the problem out on watch with him. Amelia wasn't happy when he had to help her up on the overturned bus but what could she do? The pain was so much. Daryl's hands had burned her skin when he had, she wondered if he had a fever or was coming down with a cold.

They both sat down in weathered summer chairs and looked out onto the vast amount of grass, looking for any sign of walkers.

"How's your stitches" Daryl asked lazily, the silence killing him every second it went on.

"Itchy but okay" she said, not knowing how to drag the conversation out.

"Look I got a question to ask ya. Not cause' I care but cause' I'm curious"

Amelia's heart started pounding and her palms began to sweat. Whenever he asked her a question it was always incredibly personal and she felt like she had shared enough with the group already, it was beginning to weigh on her. How did people do it? Just put their emotions in to the air without being dragged down by vulnerability.

"Shoot" and she hated herself as her voice wavered.

Daryl shifted in his seat awkwardly, not knowing whether to look at her when he asked her or to just look out to the fields. He chose the fields.

"When we dragged you in I saw a scar, just on your lower back. I weren't lookin' or nuthin but it was just there-"

"Damn" she breathed, the memory flooding back to her tired brain.

Daryl knew he had crossed the line when she flinched at the mere mention of her scar, she was just the same as him, embarrassed to be with these bodily mutations. He didn't know why he wanted to know how she had got it, all he knew was he wasn't so alone with himself now.

"I was five when I got it" she swallowed hard, refusing to tear up as she opened herself up to him. Maybe it wouldn't haunt her so much "I was such a girly kid y'know? I went to all the sleepovers. Mom hated it, dad beat her real bad when I wasn't around but it was my escape you know?"

Daryl looked down, guilt sweeping over him.

"One particular day I went to my best friends sleepover but I'd forgotten my sleeping bag. When I went home to go get it-" she took a deep breath "I found my mom at the bottom of the stairs, a gun shot wound to the back of the head. I was distraught but I had to find my little sister"

Daryl's heart began to pound and he hated how emotional he had suddenly become. It was the way she said her words, the pure emotions behind them and the look of vulnerability she had when she told her stories.

"I ran as fast as I could up those stairs but I was to late. He had done the same to her, she as only 18 months old. I ran to her, holding her trying to get her to wake up but that's when he came in. Crazed and drunk he took the gun to me, not seeing me he pulled the trigger but I jumped away and it hit me in the bottom of my back"

Amelia felt the warm tears enter her eye's and she leant back, refusing to look at him because she needed to get this out. It had to leave her tonight.

"He left me for dead. Doctors said that if it was two more centimetres across I'd of been paralysed"

"Fuck"

"I was so angry. I was lay their in blood, crying for god to just take me, my whole life had been ripped away because I was selfish. I pulled myself up and took the stairs, found my dad downing whiskey. I couldn't take it. I couldn't understand why he had chosen to kill them. I picked his gun and pointed it at the back of his head. I knew what I was doing, almost smiled as I did it. I saw the flashbacks of all the beatings he had given to my Mom and I pulled the trigger" Amelia closed her eyes.

"I watched his head punch forward and pulled the trigger again. Two for the two in my family. The gun shots had been reported to the cops. Within an hour of being in hospital I was put into the special forces academy. Their was no where to put me but there. They built me up."

They both looked at eachother then and she was sure he was trying to work out what to say, his lips had gone dry and his face pale but she assured him with her eye's that he didn't need too. Daryl wasn't good with words and she wasn't good with hearing them.

"My daddy was a son of a bitch too" he breathed. "Not as bad as yours but he beat me for the most of my life"

Amelia shook her head "We sure got dragged into this world"

"Kickin' and screamin'"

"I wouldn't or survived if I had a normal life"

Daryl grunted in agreement "Fuck, look at us being sissys" and he almost smirked at her.

"Best part of my life was in that force"

"Best part of my life was out in the forest"

Amelia grinned at him, she had at that very moment succeeded in making her first friend. Daryl was a 'what you see what you get' kinda guy and she liked that, he was blunt and honest as hell but didn't care about her flaws or that she had became a murderer at the age of five. He didn't judge her, he indulged her.

"I know it aint' much but I think you're alright. You got some good friends here, if you let em'" and she looked at him then for the first time a real but small smile found it's way to her face. This is what it was like to be accepted for the first time in your life.

"We'll see I guess" and she looked down to her hands.

"Are you weird about ass kicker cause' of your sister?" he asked, looking straight at her. Truth be known he cared a lot for Judith and her safety.

"Memories you know? Babies make me uncomfortable"


	16. Chapter 16

Please read- I had a day off today so I decided to make this extra long chapter for Sirunen who always reviews this story. Now that we have the filler chapters out of the way the story can really begin. From here it's really going to get good and I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you all think!

Walk-er right on in my friends.

The prison was eerily quiet the next morning. The weeks routine wearing down on the people currently cuddled up in their cells, enjoying the brief moments of not having to worry about impending death, loss or depression. Except for Amelia who lay awake, thinking too much about the previous conversation she had had with Daryl. It was strange after that, they sat in silence just keeping a lazy watch, thinking over their conversation. Amelia knew that she could trust Daryl with what she had told him but she also had an understanding that he would have to tell his people, so they could understand her. Amelia didn't want pity. Sitting up and looking for her boots she looked out of her cell and saw Daryl sleeping peacefully on the pathway, his arm under his head. Shaking her head she began to get ready, wincing whenever her shirt caught her stitches and whenever her muscles came under too much pressure.

It was only when she snook past Daryl and found herself in the kitchen did she feel alone. It had been a few days since the voice within her head had settled and she was worried that she was going to come under fire from it. It was hard at the best of times. Ignore the nagging in her stomach she began to prepare breakfast, slowly of course but she felt obliged too. Amelia knew that she had energy they didn't and she needed to pull her weight. As soon as she managed to get the first pot of coffee on it was Glenn who came into the canteen, his nose leading the way.

"Oh! I thought you were Carol" he breathed sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

Amelia pushed down a snort "I thought I'd give everyone a break" and she sat down and he sat with her, eyeing her slowly.

"How are you today?" he asked as he poured himself a cup.

Amelia didn't exactly know what he was asking. Did he know something? Was it that obvious on her face, was she giving the game away? Was she losing it?

"I meant your stitches" and he pointed a finger indicating to her bare shoulders. Amelia nodded to herself, taking a breath "A little sore but I've had worse. How was watch last night?" Glenn and Maggie had taken over around three in the morning.

Glenn grunted into his coffee "Long and uneventful"

They both ate their breakfast in silence, with Glenn occasionally chiming in a question about stuff she had done in the service to which she happily obliged him. It was nice that he was so interested in her, it made her feel welcome. Also she was starting to forgive him properly for kidnapping her and shoving her in the boot of his small car.

It wasn't long until the rest of the camp followed their noses into the kitchen, joyfully and thankful for their extra few hours in bed and breakfast prepared. Amelia blushed a little when they thanked her. It was Carol who seemed to have a problem with Amelia's brief part of generosity.

"I was preparing the breakfast this morning" she huffed, down at her, not scared of the reaction she would get.

Amelia kept a level head and took a sip of her coffee, it delightfully hit her taste buds.

"I know but I thought I'd give you a break Carol. You guys also seemed so tired, I'm sorry if I-"

"Well it doesn't matter! It's just another job you have taken over" she cut off, sneering and upset that Amelia had taken her only useful role in the group. Amelia suddenly felt a little bad but before she could apologise Carol was storming out.

"Shit you can't win with her!" she hissed.

The whole group went quiet, trying to enjoy the rest of their breakfast without thinking about Carols outburst. It was only when Daryl came down the stairs did Amelia realise Carol had stormed off to him. Amelia bit her lip angrily, ignoring the look he was giving her. How the hell was she supposed to win? Pushing her breakfast away she pushed past him, ignoring his stare and made her way towards her cell. Today was a day of keeping herself occupied before she did something they would all regret.

–

"So if I keep a firm hand on my knife and keep it high I'll have a better advantage?" Carl blustered as he stood over Amelia who was clearing out her rucksack. Amelia smirked as she nodded, this boy was learning real quick and she liked that. No fuss.

"Yep. When I'm not so rigid we'll start doing a little training if you like?" she asked him, hoping he wasn't going to get too excited. Carl surprised her and shrugged, being all cool about it. Amelia knew it was only because sweet Beth was within the vicinity.

"Sure we can do that" and Amelia pushed him playfully.

"Can you do me a favour and put these in the trash?" and she pushed a few empty packets of food and wipes that had been left in her backpack into his hands. Carl groaned, his cool attitude faltering as he made his way over to the trash pile.

Amelia was almost done when Rick and Daryl stepped out of the prison, intensely close to eachother. She didn't want to eaves drop and they hadn't seen her but she just couldn't help herself. Bad habits die hard.

"Just take her out on the run with you. Just until things calm down here. By the time you get back I'll have sorted this mess"

"I aint' being a fucking babysitter Rick" Daryl replied tersely. Amelia knew almost instantly that the conversation was about her, the person they didn't know was just behind them. Amelia coughed and took a little joy in watching them jump around. Rick was the first the blush, almost looking apologetic. Daryl just looked pissed.

"So I hear we're going on a run" she looked to Daryl, her right eyebrow raising "So where to?"

Daryl's jaw hardened, clearly not enjoying her little games. He didn't want to go on a run when he had stuff to do at the prison like getting the last generator to work but Rick was having none of it. Tyreese, his wife Sasha and Carol were all upset that Rick wasn't taking their feelings into account. Daryl gave up, seeing the tired look begin to weigh in Rick's face.

"We're going to check a little farm house up north, see if we can find anything useful. Be ready in five" and he stormed off, going to find a few supplies he might need. He inwardly groaned when he realised he would have to take one of the trucks. Daryl was having trouble being in close proximities with people at the moment. It also occurred to him that she would still be in pain, making her slower. His anger started to crumble away. Hell, she's still faster than those who aren't injured.

Amelia had put a jacket on and fastened her boots tighter, placing her knife on her belt instead. Her backpack held a bottle of water, a lighter, packet of crackers and a few other things. Anything could happen out there and she didn't want to be stuck in her condition. Hershel had already reminded her not to do any heavy lifting, if the stitches popped open she was at a high risk of infection. Amelia saw Daryl loading up a light blue pick up truck, parked just in front of the entrance and she headed for it.

Carl came running up to her just then, demanding to know where she was going, confused and a little betrayed that she hadn't told him first.

"I'm just going on a run. I'll be back tonight" she looked down at him.

Carl crossed his small arms "In your condition? I don't think you should go" Amelia chuckled lightly and bent down to look at him.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. You have things to do here okay? I expect them to be done when I get back" and Carl knew exactly what she was talking about. Amelia wanted Carl to clear the yard so that they could train safely there.

Carol managed a small smile, afraid she wasn't coming back "Okay. I'll see you tonight"

Amelia nodded abruptly and turned around to find Daryl eyeing her up, a dark look still on his face from this morning. Ignoring him she walked past him and chucked her rucksack into the bed of the pick up. Knowing full well she wasn't going to be driving just by the angry look on his face she got in at the passenger side and waited patiently. Amelia was just happy to get out of the prison, it was also a perfect opportunity for her to possibly find a pharmacy on the way. Daryl jumped in abruptly, ignoring her intense stare and started the engine. The sound was soothing and welcoming.

As they passed Maggie and Glenn who were opening the gates for them she idly checked her contraptions placed in front of the fences. They where holding nicely.

"Can you pass me that sponge in the glove box? Cant see for shit" Daryl barked as he tried to stare through the smudged window screen. Amelia reached into glove box and found a battered sponge, passing it to him she made sure not to touch his skin. He looked ready to pounce, angry still bubbling in the prominent veins showing in his forearms. Amelia ignored him, having dealt with bigger hot heads before she looked at to the window.

It was real nice out, the sun had just finished rising and spring was in full mode now. The grass and trees the brightest of greens and plant's running wild off the side of the road. Nature was truly brilliant when human nature wasn't fucking it up. Amelia suddenly felt physiological. Mother nature was taking what was rightfully hers back because they hadn't respected it.

"You see somethin'?" Daryl asked, side eyeing her.

Amelia jumped at the sound of his voice, for a second forgetting about him.

"Yeah a whole lot of nothing" she replied, her voice cold.

"It's better than a whole lot of walkers" and she felt his temper begin to simmer back down, he was trying to distract himself.

"Say that again. Rick was right choosing a place like this, the remoter it is the less walkers you have to deal with. There's safety" she commented. Amelia looked back out to the window, admiring the vast amount of fields they passed by.

–

Daryl didn't like how quiet she was being or how vague her answers were. It was like she was trying to piss him off, he hated it. Shaking his head his hands gripped the staring wheel tighter, today was going to be real long for him today. First off he had Carol pulling his ears off about how much Amelia was stepping on her toes and then he had Rick asking him to spend yet another day with her, making sure she weren't causing no trouble. This should have been Rick's problem but instead he chose to dump it on Daryl.

Daryl from the corner of his eye saw Amelia's arms raise up as she put she pulled the band that was wrapped lazily around her long hair, he watched as she shook it out and the dark mass of her wavy hair fell past her breasts. He gripped the wheel tighter.

He could smell her hair now, it was filling the tiny space and he felt like he was being bombarded with the fresh smell of flowers and red berries. He wished he hadn't found those berries for Beth to make shampoo, almost instantly. It was killing him. Why was it that his mind was stretched across a tight rope whenever he was around her? What was it about her?

Daryl almost missed the little farm house that was hidden by a mass of trees, he pulled in quickly, ignoring the squelch of the breaks and Amelia's hiss as her elbow hit the door. Daryl was grateful that he was going to get out in the next few seconds.

"This is it" he ground out, his jaw still tight.

"Looks nice" she spat sarcastically, reaching for her knife.

"We'll check every room before we start looking for stuff" he commented. Nodding she got out of the small cab and looked up to the old beat up house. Daryl also took in the sight before him and he was almost certain that the house with poor windows and a beaten porch had once been beautiful. He spotted a small pick up next to it and made a mental note to check it for fuel.

Daryl was the first to make his way to the house. There was no way he was going to let her in first, he wanted to make sure they got in and out quickly if needed to be. Her being slow and injured made sure of that. Daryl put his hand up to silence her and she rolled her eyes. Daryl glared at her.

They quickly made their way through all the dark rooms, knifes and bow raised ready to spring into action if they where suddenly attacked. Every room, including upstairs had been checked except for the kitchen which was the furthest away. Daryl looked at Amelia who was keeping a check at the back and nodded just as they began to rush into the room.

The smell of rotting flesh assaulted their senses immediately and Daryl raised his bow up to one of the walkers who where sitting at the table, one across from another. An elderly couple sat at the breakfast table, a routine, a different life but still even in their dead state they remembered. Daryl didn't want to think about it anymore and he took both of them down, saving Amelia the trouble.

"Shit that was so weird" she breathed. "They were just sat there, didn't even look up at us" and she leaned her back against the door, her shirt pulling a little tighter. Daryl could see the flatness of her stomach, her pert chest and hips through the shirt much more now.

Daryl looked down at the walkers for a distraction, who's heads were almost touching on the table.

"Looked to me like they where dying out. God knows how long they've been like that" and he pulled out his bows, effortlessly. Daryl saw the approval in Amelia's eyes. "C'mon, you take upstairs and I'll take down here. We need to get the stuff and go"

–

Amelia rushed up the stairs, not wanting to be in the creepy house any longer and made her way towards the master bedroom she had seen on their first check. It was light in the room, the large windows helping the sun to shine brilliantly across the bed. Amelia spared no time in opening the wardrobe and grabbing anything she could. The clothes would come in handy until summer set in. The older lady had turned out to be into her neutral clothes which made her job easier. Finding a sports bag in the wardrobe she crammed all of her finds into it. Amelia felt a little bad that she was routing through a dead persons belongings but she had to do what needed be done.

Spotting three pairs of workmen boots she took them too. The guys at the camp would find these useful. Amelia pushed on, grabbing linen, pillows, covers and towels for the camp. Even when she looked through the couples draws she grabbed books, lighters and torches. Amelia's last job was the bathroom and she prayed that there was some more good finds in there.

As she opened the doors her eye's fell on a bright coloured bathroom with a large medicine cabinet. Rushing she pulled open the single door and almost screamed with joy. Inside lay every kind of pill and medicine bottle there was. This would be perfect. Pulling open a spare bag she crammed the great finds in until her eye's caught a small orange pill bottle that was all to familiar to her.

Grabbing it she shoved it into her jacket pocket before she even realised what she was doing, nobody would need these. It made perfect sense to take them for herself. Just as she turned around to check the cabinets under the window she spotted Daryl in the door.

"I'm nearly done" she breathed, trying to ignore the burn in her face. Amelia yanked open the cabinet just as he took his first steps in. Feminine products, deodorants, tooth paste, toothbrushes, toilet roll, body sprays, shampoos, conditioners, soap, you name in was crammed into the large cupboard. The simple things in life.

"Hell that's going to make the camp happy. Them being crazy hoarders has helped us out!" he whooped, helping her pack.

"You wouldn't believe" she smirked "That bag over there" and she jolted her head to it's direction "Is full of every medicine and antibiotic you can dream of. Good find Daryl" and she shoved the last deodorant can in the back.

"Shit. Did we just walk into a junkies house?" he joked.

"Old people are so crazy for hoarding" she agreed. "Did you find anything good down stairs?"

Daryl nodded quickly, picking up the backpack and going for the one across the room. Amelia grabbed it first and dared him to argue. She wasn't in that much pain.

"Four boxes of food and cleaning products. Also some toys for little ass kicker, must have had grand children" he mumbled. "Oh and I found something real cool outback"

–

It was only when they had packed up all of their good finds did Daryl take her round back. There was a metal fence, containing four very thin but alive chickens. He looked at her and almost smiled. It was a victory for him she could see that, one that he had wanted to come along time ago. The prison would soon become a real home for them.

"You're going to be the camps hero tonight Daryl" she breathed, going to take a closer look at the small creatures. They seems so lost and hungry, she almost felt bad for them.

Daryl ignored her compliment and pushed forward two cages he had found in the shed at the bottom of the house "Even if they cant lay we can still eat em'. Hershel can be the judge of that" and he walked inside of the pen and began round them up. Amelia loaded a few tools from the shed that Daryl thought they would need. He came back, covered in mud but his spirits lifted. They loaded all the goods into the pick up which was practically brimming, a brilliant find thanks to Daryl. Amelia ground some crackers for the chickens in hopes she could fatten them a little so they wouldn't suffer much on the bumpy journey.

Daryl was tapping his fingers impatiently on the steering wheel when she timidly got in, he was keen to get back to the camp before the sun set. Amelia sighed happily, she was doing good and making real progress but most of all the pills in her pocket were going to make things real easy.

"Damn we've needed a day liked this for a long time!" he breathed, hitting the steering wheel in celebration.

"Everyone will be happy" she agreed lightly, not feeling like she was able to enjoy his little celebration. Amelia still felt like an outsider.

"You must be some lucky charm lady" he breathed, a small smirk across his thin lips.

"I don't know about that" and she shook her head with a small smile.

Daryl nodded to himself "I didn't er mean to make you feel uncomfortable this morning. I just got a lot on" he said.

Amelia put her hand up "I get it. I don't want you to have to baby sit me either. I'm a grown woman. I know a few members don't like me and it's causing you trouble. I'm really fucking _trying _here though"she rambled, the celebration of their finds passing.

"I know" he agreed simply "Some people aint' as forward thinking. They get tied in their emptions and what's right and wrong, don't worry about it"

"I get why Tyreese and his wife-"

"Sasha"Daryl jumped making Amelia roll her eyes.

"Sasha, don't like me but Carol? Nah that's come out of thin air. I've been nothing but nice to her!" and she thumped the seat next to her.

"Daryl eye'd her warily. He knew she could flip like a switch at any given moment.

"Carol thinks your taking me away from her" he butt in, blushing a little.

"Oh..." Amelia breathed, she hadn't realised that the guy who had helped her so much, seen her naked had belonged to another woman. She felt betrayed and a little sick, it was new to her and she wasn't sure on what her next move was.

"Not like that! No. Me and Carol are, er friends. It's just she aint' got nobody so she clings to me. I guess she's just looking out for me. You know, as friends"

"Right" Amelia said, not quite caring enough to carry the conversation on. Amelia didn't get girls, she couldn't fathom why they just never said what they felt or told you outright if the had a problem with you. Amelia could never understand the trivial parts of women even though she was one. Her upbringing was a lot different, she only had time to get better at surviving not hanging around with her girlfriends and gossiping.

Daryl was eyeing her, clearly understanding her had passed some sort of boundary with her. He had pissed her off and was incredibly frustrated with himself for not knowing how. Why he cared he didn't know and his temper began to raise its ugly head.

–

The journey felt longer than it had on the way there to Amelia. Nobody spoke and she was beginning to get a little irritated. Instead she turned her energy into counting the walkers she spotted on the drive back. So far she had seen five. As soon as they pulled up to the prison to only be greeted by everyone Amelia felt her mood lift, she was no longer in the suffocating environment of Daryl Dixon.

"Woah guys!" Maggie beamed with a toothy smile as Daryl began to unload the stuff.

Amelia was infected with Maggies bright mood "We literally hit the hoarding jackpot. Plenty of medicine, toiletries, clothes and bedding for everyone" she grinned.

Rick was the first to pat Daryl on the back "and food and alcohol" Daryl smirked as he pushed the boxes into Tryeeses hands.

"Woah you have chickens!" Carl grinned into the truck bed at the little frightened birds.

"Yeah we do! We thought Hershel could check em' over, see if they would be useful" Hershel stepped out the group like a flash, an excited smile on his face. Carl helped him check the birds over as everyone took the finds.

"We can wash our hair!" Beth rejoiced to a smiling Maggie.

"Oh god real toilet paper!" Glenn groaned with approval.

"Soft bedding!" Carol crooned.

"Antibiotics!?" and Amelia smiled over at Hershel.

"Yes sir! As much as you need" and she gave the bag to Rick.

"You've done real good guys" Rick smiled and for the first time since Amelia's arrival everyone in the camp was smiling.

"These chickens are all able to lay eggs. Looks like we can start out own little farm" Hershel said.

"Seriously? Cool!" Carl said as he helped Carl take them over to the little patch next to their crops.

Amelia was happy that everyone was in good spirits, she knew that she could weigh heavily on those who didn't tick the same was as she did but this was different. Amelia was really trying.

Amelia then turned to Carol and handed her a large bag of clothing.

"I thought some of these could come in handy for the girls. There's plenty of jackets and coats" and Carol tried to smile out of politeness. Daryl all this time had been watching the group happily help take their finds into the prison while beaming with appreciation but he was too busy staring at Amelia who seemed so at ease now. Trusting.


	17. Chapter 17

Please read- Grinning like an absolute fool now! Thank you so much for reviewing, it's so nice waking up to see those little emails. We're so close to the drama now! I will probably post the next chapter today depending on how finishing it goes. Let me know what you think and who you like so far! Thanks -Abbie.

I served my life to serve my country.

The prison had been buzzing with happiness this morning as everyone went about their business. It royally pissed of Daryl. He couldn't understand for the life of him how material things made these people so damn cheery. It didn't quite dawn on him that these material things meant the world to these people. They clung to their past lives in hopes that one day they would be reunited with it. Plus Amelia still hadn't acknowledged him since their awkward car conversation.

He sat in the yard, seeing a faster, flexible Amelia show Carl a few tricks she had learned being the dutiful soldier. Her long hair was down today, shimmying past her butt as she dodged the make believe bullets. Eye's wide with excitement and extremely animated hands he watched her curiously, she was more alive when she was around Carl. Carl looked happy too, eager to have company that didn't just dismiss him but saw him as an equal.

Daryl just couldn't understand anything anymore.

–

Amelia laughed at Carl who was mirroring her actions, storing everything she had said in his head.

"You got anymore cool knife tricks?" he asked, catching his breath.

"Tonnes but I'm only going to show you one, that's until you practise the basics" and she smiled at him. "Follow me" and they made there way into the prison, to the kitchen that was full of everyone but Daryl. Amelia didn't care as she asked Rick if he could move to another table, she needed the pin board behind his head.

Rick curiously moved but kept his worried eye's trained on his son. Everyone had gone quiet now, also curious as to what they where going to witness. Amelia rolled her eye's at Carl who just smirked.

"Right. You listen here Carl" and she took her knife and placed it flat on the table, the handle hanging off by two centimetres"

Carl looked down at the glinting knife with wide eyes, unsure on whether he should be excited about what she was about to do. Everyone in the room looked pretty shocked.

"Now this takes skill, a lot of skill and you have to be real careful. You do not do this for fun you hear?" she asked. Amelia could feel Carols disapproval but she really didn't care today, her spirit was too high and she was finally feeling herself. Yesterdays little find was already working.

"Yes" Carl breathed.

"Okay." Amelia eyed the central of the dark green pin board, ignoring her audience. It would be easy, simply and quick. "Watch my hand" and the side of her hand came down on the handle with speed, it vibrated off the table as it flew into the air but before any of them could see she had hit the bottom of the hand sending it spiralling for the board. It stuck into the wood with a loud thud.

"Fuck" Glenn breathed getting a swat from Hershel.

"Did you really just do that?" Carl asked, his eye's refusing to leave her knife.

"Yeah" and she walked over to the board and reached for her knife "You don't need a gun to get your target down fast. A knife can do just as much but you have to be aware of yourself. It's a lot. Not very useful if you're swarmed" she continued her lecture.

It was Rick who butted in, eager to see what she did again, for himself so that his brain could actually finalise just how crazy but brilliant the woman standing before him really was. Amelia happily agreed to show them, ignoring the slight throb in her hand.

"The key to getting it at your target is the way you breathe. It sounds so trivial but every one of your breaths count" and she was looking at Rick "You have to be calm with your weapon. Breathe through it" Amelia placed the knife back down onto the table.

In the corner of her eye she spotted Daryl walk in but she refused to lose her cool now, these people where ready to see what she could do and she wanted to make sure she was understood. Amelia wasn't just a soldier, she wasn't to be messed with but she was also useful. Smart and street smart. Daryl Dixon and his girly ass mood swings were not going to ruin her day. Yesterday had given her hope that everything wasn't going to fall to shit and she needed it. The past year had been one of the worst, losing her family, her life and her indemnity all in one lump.

Amelia turned to face everyone "Never assume you know where your target will be next" and she turned, hitting down on the blade, it vibrated quickly up, to quick for the untrained eye to see and as she breathed out she hit the weapon towards the same spot she previously had occupied.

Turning back she looked at Carl who still hadn't broken contact with her knife. Amelia wasn't sure about everyones reactions but what she could see from the men was pure astonishment. Maggie was the only one who's reaction had been plainly obvious, her mouth hanging open.

"That could sure come in handy!" Beth broke the ice, rocking the baby in her arms. Everyone began to laugh, grateful they had something else to do.

"Is that even possible?" Rick asked as he returned her knife.

Amelia grinned at him, eye's bright with excitement "Sure. You sure try it for yourself Rick. You might even make the board" she joked.

Rick pushed a hand through his hair, grinning a little "You know I'll have to practise first" Carl felt confused, he didn't understand why his father and leader had suddenly gone all shy, even blushing a little. He refused to acknowledge the feeling niggling at his stomach.

"You're real cool Amelia "Carl butted in "If I could just do that one thing I would be happy"

Amelia looked down at him, aware that he was starting to look up to her, starting to appreciate the way she took time out for him and it began to make her feel uneasy. Amelia had never had any responsibility before, only to her men but that was different, they all could hold their own emotionally.

"Excuse you Carl. You'll be doing a lot more by the time we're done" and she nudged him "If that's okay with your old man" and they both looked up at him.

Rick had thought about this for the past few days, it had been the only thing troubling the poor man. Was it right for Amelia to make his son a soldier, to only rely on his actions? Or was it better the way he was, weak and power hungry? Discipline in the end had won Rick over. Even If Carol had out right told him that Lori would not want her son a soldier of the new world.

"Of course" he nodded, squeezing Carls shoulders before heading out of the prison.

"Go on and practise. I'll be out in a few minutes okay?" before she could even finish Carl had bolted for the door. He was eager and he was going to get it nailed before she got out there, he wanted to impress her, to see the bright smile of encouragement when he got it right on her face.

Amelia shook her head softly, her hair tumbling down her back. Amelia had one last thing to do before she could start calling this prison her home and she was about to do it. Palms suddenly sweaty and her heart beating so erratically she swore the whole prison could hear it; she made her way to Beth. Amelia could hear the baby cooing in her arms and it made her legs feel weak, she refused to let it show and she hardened her jaw.

"I believe I still have to meet the last resident?" she asked Beth, hoping she would be quick to click on to her thoughts.

Beth smiled softly and began moving towards her. This hadn't been the plan Amelia had conjured up in her head, she was just going to look at the child and feel better that she had made the effort and she was over her fear of children. Beth however had very different ideas as she began to place the chubby small baby into Amelia's unexpectant arms. The child felt foreign to her, her movements stiff, her maternal side had been crushed and placed in a box inside her head for a long time she was certain the suppression was showing. The baby briefly opened her eye's to her, smiling up at the new woman holding her.

"Wow she's heavy!" Amelia breathed, her voice wavering. New emotion hitting the top of her lungs. The baby was beautiful, Judith was beautiful to her but the smell and the warmth reminded her of her sister and the pain stung at her icey heart.

"Yeah she's becoming a little porker!" Maggie agreed, joining the trio and grabbing one of Judith's tiny hands. It was Hershel who came next, smiling encouragingly at Amelia and taking the babies other hand in his. This wasn't too bad. Glenn, Tyreese, Sasha and Carol all hung back, watching the scene unfold but Daryl, oh Daryl was watching with intense scrutiny. Just waiting.

Amelia didn't care, she was fine, she was dealing with this, she didn't feel so sick anymore. Judith smiled at her again and began squirming in her arms.

"Oooh god she's moving!" blustered Amelia, clumsily trying to keep her safe in her arms.

"I think she likes you Amelia" Beth said.

"It would be a first" she joked and everyone laughed, enjoying the light hearted moment. Amelia smiled down at the baby and realised she was looking into a younger version of Rick and Carl both mixed but a beautiful woman that hadn't gotten to enjoy her baby. Suddenly Amelia's nose began to wrinkle up, the stench bringing water to her eyes and her mouth to wretch.

"Eugh what is that smell?" she hissed.

Maggie and Glenn both laughed, Hershel shook his head.

"I think she really likes you" Glenn laughed, uncontrollably snorts of laughter ensuing.

"Oh you're kidding me. Little ass kicker just went to the toilet in my arms!?" Amelia's expression was incredulous and full of disgust. Slowly and carefully passing the baby back to Beth she continued to shake her head, ignoring the raucous laughter of the others as she began to leave the room.

–

Daryl was just walking up the cell block stairs when in the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of Amelia in her cell. Peeling away her shirt, her back to him she leaned down to pick her fresh one up. He couldn't take his eye's away from her bare flesh, it was like he was stuck, glued to it. As she began to pull the material over her head he saw the outline of her breasts and began to stumble back into the railings. Cursing himself he tried to regain his composure but she had already turned around, shirt now back at her waist.

"Hey" she called back, slowly, uncertain.

He had began ranting at how stupid he was in his head and if she wasn't around he would of probably smacked himself upside the head. He felt like a peeping tom.

"Hey" he called back, ignoring her eyes as he took the last few steps.

"You weren't at dinner" she stated as she came out of her cell and sat down in-between the railings, letting her legs dangle. Daryl snorted as he shook his bow off and kicked off his boots.

"I was out huntin'"

Amelia nodded slightly. Daryl knew that someone in the camp had told her where he had gone and why he had gone there but he just hoped she wouldn't ask questions. Only had he just gotten rid of his temper and now wasn't the best time to be asking questions and getting up in his business. Daryl just wanted to rest.

"I hear you're real good at tracking" she said, fingering the hole in the bottom of her shirt she had taken from the old man's closet they had raided yesterday. It strangely looked good on her and it looked soft on her delicate skin.

"Yeah I am" he replied shortly.

"I've always wished I could do it. I was useless at the training" she groaned.

Daryl eyed her with a small smirk "Are you telling me miss do it all can't do something as simple as following tracks?"

Amelia rolled her eyes and he hardened his jaw at the slight gesture. It was attractive when she did it. Daryl couldn't understand for the life of him why he was suddenly reacting like a horny teenage kid. It was like his body had gone back in time and his brain was still trying to catch up. He was beginning to feel his temper boil and knew that this conversation would have to be short.

"Shut up Daryl" she hissed, suddenly becoming unfriendly. It helped Darlys case none. Her anger was attractive to, the way her dusty pink lips curled into a snarl, the way her nose wrinkled, the way her- "You can be such a little bitch some times. Control your mood swings" she hissed at him as she got up and stormed back into her cell.

Daryl stood there for a few seconds, catching up with what had just happened and couldn't believe he had just compared her to a teenager girl. His temper really flared now, he had spent so long taking everyone's shit because he liked feeling wanted but today it was different. Nah he wasn't going to take it, he stormed into her cell, ready to have it out with her when he caught sight of a little pill bottle poking out from under the pillow. He reached out quickly, intercepted her hands and pulling them together with one of his as he grabbed the little orange bottle. He could see the panic in her face and knew something was wrong. It had all been too good to be true.

"Daryl just give me those back!" and she wrapped her legs around him, pulling him down onto her, trying to wriggle up his arms to get them. He refused to let her body claim her as he read the label. In the scramble Daryl hadn't realised his biggest fears coming true.

Growing up with a junkie brother and a mother who had been severely depressed before he demise meant that Daryl was fully aware of the names of drugs and what they did. All he could do was stare down at the woman before him, his eyes scanning her face looking for any signs it wasn't true. It couldn't be. No...


	18. Chapter 18

Please read- Awh guys! All of those reviews have really had me beaming all day. Thank you so much for being so kind. I love that you guys love this story! It keeps me thinking all day/ I know this chapter isn't as exciting but it holds the key to the next chapter which is drama filled so please enjoy and I hope to hear from you!-Abbie

The unwanted brother.

Time had stopped. Well, it felt like it had. They both stared at each other not knowing what to do. Daryl was slowly coming around to realise that Amelia's long legs were snaked around him and it was becoming slightly uncomfortable for him. He didn't know what to say, he didn't know whether to grab her and demand answers or just wait until she said something.

"They're antidepressants" she said.

"I know what the fuck they are. Why you got em?" he growled, lowly, knowing at any moment somebody could pass her cell.

Amelia looked to the side as if she was trying to collect her thoughts from the bare wall. "What do you think?" she snarled, her eye's coming back to his. Daryl didn't like that she was suddenly flipping the switch. He didn't like it one bit.

"You don't need this shit. You shouldn't be takin' it" and he began to pull away from her, needing space but still his strong fingers gripping the bottle.

"Just give them back" she ordered, sitting up and stretching her hands out to him.

Daryl shook his head and began walking back, confused and not sure of his next move. He knew that she could take him down, kill him even if she was addicted to these things. Daryl didn't really want to find out.

"I can't. You don't need them Amelia. You're fine. You took these when we where at that house. You fuckin' hooked or something?"

He watched as she lurched forward, making a grab for the little vile in his hands, her hair hit I'm in the eyes blinding him for a second. Instead of grabbing the bottle she grabbed him, roughly by the collar and dragged him back into the cell.

"I aint' no scum bag junkie you ass. I've been on them for my whole life. I can't think straight when I'm not on them. They give the voices out of my damn head, help me concentrate. Wasn't it you that said people get too tied in with their emotions?" she hissed.

"That aint no excuse. These things don't work. You where fine before so you can be fine again" Daryl heard everything she said, hell he understood it all, sometimes he felt like he was crazy from the rough upbringing he had. As he watched her blush in himself he was trying to work out why he was trying to stop her from taking the pills. It wasn't any of his business. He felt compelled to be around her, to stop her from doing this, to see the real her without these pills doping her.

It could put the group at risk; was all he could think of.

"I wasn't fine" she began to blush harder, her hands pulling through her long hair, her eyes avoiding his. "I am volatile, dangerous. My moods can be unpredictable. In this environment I can't afford to be that" and she looked straight through him, daring him to be a hypocrite. "Daryl?"

"No" was all he said. He pushed off the wall she had shoved him to and put the vile of pills in his jeans pocket. "Not this way" but before she could say anything he bolted out of the room, going to destroy the little pills of sanity. As he ran, passing the worried stares of the camp his thoughts raced. His legs where carrying him to a place his brain was unsure of but he was going to get there, he was going to stop this.

He could smell her sweet scent all over his t-shirt. It would have to come off.

–

Amelia avoided all human contact until the following day. Whenever somebody came to her cell she would pretend to be asleep, her back to them at all times. She was unsure as to whether Daryl had revealed her dirty secret and now wasn't the time to have a pity party. Hershel however was the first to come to her defence stating that she must have been worn out from the healing process, she was glad to have an excuse.

Amelia could feel the pain of frustration bubbling around her whole body, threatening to spill out. How fucking dare he do that when she was doing it for the rest of the group, nobody needed or wanted to see how she got when she wasn't in control. Who was Daryl fuckin Dixon to control what she took? Damn she really thought she had made some sort of friendship with him or at least a survivors bond. It was only when Daryl came to her that night, his hands in his pocket but a smirk on his face did her self control really get put to the test.

"What the fuck do you want now?" she hissed, pushed her hair over to her left side.

"It's sorted. This never happened and Rick doesn't need to know. Deal with your shit like a normal person or leave. Got that?"

Amelia was not intimidated by his threat at all. Scoffing she lay back down.

"Save your threats redneck. Aint' nothing you can do to stop me doing anything. You think Rick's going to side with you? The man aint exactly ticking smoothly is he?" and she began to laugh, it was a real funny situation to her.

Daryl growled, taking a threatening step towards her but she didn't flinch and she didn't move.

"Fuck you're driving me crazy" he hissed. Amelia began to laugh even harder, he really was pushing his luck. "Listen here-" and he grabbed her wrist but she was quicker, she pulled at him, pulling him to the bottom bunk and she flipped so that he landed on his back and her on top.

" .me Dixon" she hissed, her hair draping over his chest. Daryl flinched at her touch but she refused to let go. It was obvious he didn't like being close to anybody and she was using it for her advantage "You can hide those pills, hell I'll even stop but do not lay a hand on me"

"I wasn't going to hurt you" he growled "Gerroff me!" and she suddenly let go of him, her head titling, eyes squinting. It was only when Daryl really began to feel the situation around him and the way she was sat on him did the panic begin to set in. His body was just about to give him up.

Amelia got off of him and began pacing the little cell. "Fuck!" she hissed "What am I even doing here?" and she ignored him as he got up, trying to slip past her to get out of the tiny space.

"Forget it" he mumbled as he walked straight out of the cell and the joining stairs to his kitchen.

It would be impossible to forget it.

–

Amelia was up incredibly early the next day as she began her quick workout routine. As soon as she shook of the past days aches and dramas she began to really step it up, forcing herself to go harder, telling herself that getting injured was no reason so slack. Anger began to pour out of her as she began her sit ups, she wasn't pissed with Daryl anymore. Hell she was in his domain and she had to respect that now. Her next step was getting herself out of the bad habits of depressants. It was going to be rough but she could do it, she had survived worse.

The next thing Amelia did was clear out the walkers with the help of Rick who had been awfully quiet this morning however Amelia wasn't quite ready to ask him what was up so they just got on with the job at hand. Rick was just putting one of the dead walkers on the pick up when he finally broke the silence.

"Can I ask you a favour Amelia?" and the way he said her name had her stomach flipping a little. Ignoring the sensation she turned to him.

"Sure Rick"

"I know you and Carol aren't exactly seeing eye to eye right now but could you talk to her? See if you could sort something out?"

Amelia rolled her eyes childishly at the mere mention of Carols name and Rick chose to ignore it. He was trying to be diplomatic and she understood that but she didn't think it it was going to be that easy.

"I don't have a problem with her Rick but of course. If this is what you want then I'm not going to argue" and she placed her blade back into her boot, bending down quickly. When she had risen she was now faced with a smiling Rick and a completely pissed off Daryl.

"Hershel needs your help back at the prison" Daryl mumbled, ignoring Amelia's eyes.

Rick raised an eyebrow, turning to Amelia "I'll catch up with you later. Thanks for understanding" and he rushed towards the prison. Feeling the unbearable tension radiation from Daryl had been enough.

Amelia ignored Daryl straight away, refusing to even make visual contact with the guy who was so hell bent on making her life a misery. He was so hot and cold, one minute he was a friend the next he was her only enemy. Did he get some sort of kick from it she wondered. Shaking her head she made her way to the pick up. The last job of the day was to burn the walkers and she was free to skulk off to her cell.

"You manage to clear them okay?" he asked, falling into her step. He smelled of burning wood and dead leaves she noted and his hair was even messier than usual.

Amelia looked at him, her lips set in a straight line "Does it look like it?" she asked sarcastically before reaching into the truck for the keys.

Daryl scoffed "You know we're on watch together tonight"

"Nah I switched with Hershel" she replied, ignoring his icey stare. Amelia had switched with Hershel earlier that morning with a promise that she would help him with a few errands. Amelia didn't want to be near Daryl.

"I know. I unswitched ya" and he was smirking now, irritating the fuck out of her.

Flinging her hands in the air she turned to him "What the hell did you do that for?!"

"Hershel aint no use up there with me" and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Bullshit. Do you get some sort of kick from pissing me off Dixon? Cause you're seriously doing just that"

Ignoring her he pushed a walker leg that was just hanging off back up, his top lip curled into a snarl with disgust. Amelia could of screamed at him, threw her knife at his head or even just punched him but he always managed to work around her anger. It caught her off guard and it wouldn't sit well wit her. It was whenever he moved she had to look at him, had to see the way his muscles moved under his skin, see the way his lips moved, where his eye's went...it was confusing.

"Are you even there Daryl?" she asked as he began to zone out towards her feet.

Shaking his head slowly he came too with a deep cough. "We er need to talk, tonight. So just be there woman. I aint' messing with you either" and he quickly turned on his foot and stomped back up towards the prison leaving Amelia in a confused mess.

Did he ever stop? Did he ever wake up and think it would be better to be straight with someone rather than go around in circles. Amelia knew he wanted to talk about her medication but why couldn't he have just said it there and then? Why couldn't he just not make things harder than they had to be.

Then she realised that Daryl Dixon was just as bad as her when it came to social interaction. No wonder they didn't get on.

–

Amelia could see the moonlight pooling over the prison as she set for her destination. A blanket and a coat in hand she stomped her way over to the over turned bus, frankly pissed that she seemed to be doing all the dirty jobs at the moment. Oh and spending most of her time in the rednecks company who seemed hell bent on pissing her off.

Ignoring his smirk as she resumed her place in a worn out deck chair she pulled her coat around her, buttoning it quickly. Spring was no fun at night,

"Do you wear anything that isn't sleeveless?" Amelia asked tartly as she threw her blanket at him. Daryl shrunk away from the smooth material but made no move to shift it as it landed on his lap.

"Do you ever quit moanin'?" he breathed as he stretched his legs, his eyes darting from her eyes to her lips nervously.

"Fuck you Dixon"

"Look we aint' got to make this harder. I think we should just forget about last night. It's sorted. You're just going to have to deal like the rest of us" and he thought it was sorted just like that.

Amelia scoffed but was to tired to argue a dying point.

"I won't take them" she simply stated.

"Good"

"Is that why you wanted me out here on watch? To tell me shit I already knew?" she groaned, her arms wrapping around her body. The chill was really setting in now.

"Actually no. I er, was wondering. Well actually I wanted to know if-"


	19. Chapter 19

Please read- I would like to say a huge thank you again to everyone that has reviewed this and sent me messages. I will get around to replying to you all as soon as I've finished the next chapter. I would also like to inform you that there will be another chapter posted today :) Have a lovely day! -Abbie

Misery loves company.

Amelia blinked. Trying to clear the image from her brain but it was no use. Daryl stupid Dixon had just asked the woman he had only royally pissed off yesterday if she would make a run with him again tomorrow. The poor cheek of the man. Amelia was furious and he knew that, just by the way he shifted uncomfortably under her stare. He licked the corner of his mouth, stopped his right leg from jumping up and down and fiddled with his knife as he waited for an answer.

"Are you like constantly off your head or something?" she hissed "Why should I do a thing for you?" her hands outstretching in protest.

Daryl's jaw hardened as he took her in, the way she was easily dismissive of his efforts to try with her. Couldn't she see that he was really trying?

"You're the only one who can handle the situation" he smoothed, trying to ignore the nagging voice in his head.

Amelia shook her head trying not to let her temper get the better of her and to prove the idiot next to her right. Taking a deep breath she figured that the worst could happen was Daryl pissing her off and she would want to chop his head off, that seemed pretty common at the moment.

"What are we going for this time?"

"Rick wants us to go into town. See if we can get some food supplies. He wants a large stock pile"

Amelia smirked, seeing right through Rick. There was a huge stock pile in the prison already and in the back of each vehicle that littered the prison. Rick was a very thorough man and she knew it.

"Right. So Rick wants us to risk out neck in walker territory to stock up?" and she raised an eyebrow at him, hoping he could see where she was going with this.

He shrugged, turning away from her "What Rick says goes"

Pursing her lips she was ready to say more but thought better of it. Rick was the boss now and if she wanted to stay in the little safe haven then she would do as Rick wanted. It irritated her, for the lord of it all it really made her blood boil but she was taught to choose her moments carefully so that's what she was going to do.

–

He could feel her hot breath on his neck as she came in close, her wandering fingers trickling down his stomach. He couldn't move, all he could do was watch her with careful eyes as she planted hot kisses all over his body. He groaned, needing escape from the frustration he felt in his nether regions. Those green eyes soon found his and he found himself almost begging for her touch, for her lips but she smiled, angelic and innocent before leaning down onto his mouth. As her lips brushed his he moaned hotly into her mouth, his hands tangling within her long hair as he roughly pushed her into him. Prying herself apart she made him look at her, is inexperienced eye's drank her in, ready to give her whatever she needed.

Her hands slipped down to his crotch area and he took a deep breath, not really ready but hungry for her all the same. He watched as she came in real close and whispered "Is this what you want?"

Daryl jolted away and almost fell off the rickety summer chair he had been slumped it. He turned quickly, feeling his surroundings to find Amelia, looking out to the fields. He wondered if she had noticed him, seen the jolt or seen his raised crotch area. He pulled the blanket over him properly and cleared his throat. He felt incredibly stupid and embarrassed but didn't want to embrace the sensation; afraid that she would pick up on the dream.

"Well it's nice for some" and she smirked at him. Oh shit. Did she? He coughed and looked away from her. "Tyreese and his wife will be here in a second? You going to be okay not falling asleep again?" she teased, her eye's wide with humour.

"Why dint' you wake me?"

"You seemed to be having a better time in the land of nod" and she began to laugh, hysterically. So loudly in fact that the walkers at the first fence began to angrily sneer into the darkness, searching for the life they couldn't see to eat.

"Keep it down!" he blushed, throwing the blanket down.

"So who was she?" she giggled, her hand coming up to her mouth.

If Daryl wasn't so pissed off he would of liked the way she laughed, the way she was so free with herself.

"What?" he breathed angrily.

"You know the girl you where all moaning about. I never had you down for the wet dreamer type" she teased further, trying to test all his buttons.

"Fuck off" he hissed, grabbing his bow. Ready to run as soon as their cover came.

"Was she good?" Amelia asked, still trying to stifle the giggles.

"Will you shut the fuck up. I didn't have no wet dream now drop it"

"Sure you didn't" and she took a breath, it was anything just to stop the mountains of laughter she had building up. "You can tell me Daryl. We're all friends here"

He snapped. Oh he couldn't take it. No, he was pushed past his limits. He had never taken teasing light. Having been teased his whole life, by his father, his brother and even the kids at school he still hadn't gotten use to it. He jumped up, slamming his bow down with a clatter. He pointed a finger in her fact "We ain't fucking friends. Never will be. Never wanna' be"

The abrupt sense of hurt hit Amelia like a truck, she hadn't realised she had pushed him that far. Before she could reach out and explain herself he had already snatched up his weapon and made a break for the prison. Amelia had really messed up this time.

"Still upsetting people then?" Sasha, Tyreese's wife sneered.

"Shut the fuck up" Amelia snapped as she grabbed the blanket from Daryl side and jumped off the bus "Don't' get eaten by any walkers dumbass" she sneered to her husband only to take enjoyment in the look of disgust in his face.

–

The next morning was awfully quiet. Maggie had reported that Daryl was in a foul mood and had taken it out on the whole prison before he went hunting and she felt terribly confused about the whole siltation. When Rick asked her what had happened that night she had one shred of decency left and said she didn't know. Carol however refused to believe that Amelia hadn't had anything to do with it and made her point very vocal at breakfast.

"He was fine before watch last night" she pointed out as she slyly looked to Amelia.

"He was fine _on _watch Carol" Amelia sneered back, still not prepared to try and be nice to the woman that really didn't want her there.

"I was just saying. Tyreese said he was pretty upset-"

"Look he's a grown man. Let him do his thing now if you don't mind me and Judith would like to eat our breakfast in peace" Hershel butted in, pushing a small bottle into Judith's tiny little mouth. Amelia smiled a little at the old man, he really did have good timing. However Amelia had made a promise to Rick and she wasn't going to let him down.

"Carol?" she asked as she centred herself in front of her.

Carol tried to walk around her but didn't have the courage to do so.

"Can we talk? In private?" Amelia asked with her nose in the air, ready to be shut down infront of Rick. At least she tried.

"I'm busy" Carol said bluntly, pulling her loose cardigan around her.

"This wont take a second" Amelia was still prepared, her chin in the air.

"Fine but make it short. I have things to do" she retorted, hinting that she still had a part within the group no matter what Amelia thought.

Amelia nodded quickly and pointed to a vacant table away from the group. Slowly following they made their way over to the rickety table with odd chairs. Amelia was the first to sit down.

"Look. I'm not going to beat around the bush but I just thought id talk to you, about the problem you have with me"

Carols eye's widened, as if she had said a total lie "I don't have a problem with you. I have a problem with the way you are, the way you treat people around here" she burst, her vibrant grey hair almost seemed as if it was highlighted with a fake halo.

"That sounds like a problem to me Carol" she retorted smartly "How do I treat people around here exactly Carol?"

"Like soldiers-look at Carl-"

"Carl wanted to learn, plus I wouldn't have gone there if his father wouldn't of given his approval first" and Amelia smiled at her, a long fake smile that most women would of understood. It was a warning, it was to say 'please don't fuck with me further' and Carol wasn't getting the hint.

Pushing her chest out Carol put her hands down on the table. "You're so mean and-"

"Cut the crap Carol. You don't like me because I've apparently taken your friend Daryl away, am I right?"

Carol blushed crazily and looked at her as if she had two heads but it was painfully obvious what Amelia had just said had indeed hit several nerves. Carol couldn't even begin to deny it so instead she huffed, trying to find a way to claw out of this mess.

"He's all I have. He's my friend. He was there for me when I lost everything"

Amelia leaned forward, trying to find the woman's eyes "I know Carol. I don't want to take that. I'm real sorry if you thought I had but I'm not. Daryl and I have only spent time together because Rick wanted us too. Hell me and Daryl do not get on" and Amelia pulled a hand through her long hair and twisted it so it sat at the nape of her neck.

"He did so much for me. Daryl is the only one here that I know would fight to the death to protect his friends. I just guess I got childish and forgotten how to act like a woman. It's been a rough time for me. I don't really have any useful skills in this group. Being the mother and tending to the laundry isn't exactly needed" and she paused "Can we start again?"

Amelia grinned wickedly, she liked how easy these people where to persuade but also how easy it was just to 'start over' in the past world everybody and their dog held a grudge if you had done something wrong. Oh how times had changed.

"Sure. You've caught me in a forgiving mood" and she outstretched a hand to which Carol timidly took. "Plus I've been dying to get my hands on that little patch of crops. You've turned me into green fingers" Amelia laughed as she stood up. Carol shook her head softly.

"You're going to need a lot more practice until you can call yourself that"

–

Amelia spent the rest of the afternoon feeding the chickens and helping Carl practise his aim with his knife. It was well spent she decided as she watched how quickly Carl was coming along. He had stopped being childish and decided the quickest way to get what he wanted was to listen. A skill that no many people would ever develop. Rick, Maggie and Glenn even joined in, encouraging him and all learning how to safely disarm one another. It was a light afternoon but it wouldn't last long, nothing ever did for Amelia.

As soon as she finished up helping Carol clean up after dinner she was hit with the vicious stares of Daryl Dixon. Carol pushed past her feelings and went to him, eager to cheer him up. They both sat for a while as Amelia talked to Carl about what he would learn next. Amelia wanted to know awfully bad what they were talking about but decided that Carol needed the time with her friend. Plus Daryl had outright said he didn't want anything to do with Amelia so she was going to help him stick to that.

Finishing up she dragged herself back to her cell, her tired limbs refused to co-operate as she pushed herself up the metal stairs. Passing a grinning Beth who was happily bouncing baby Judith on her hip, she groaned at the sight. It was just too much for her right now. Slipping into her cell she grabbed a towel and her tooth brush. A shower would sort all of her aches, even if it was a cold one.

–

On her way down to the showers she passed Daryl but she slipped by him before he could even look at her. He was not getting an ounce of her time from now on. The prison was even scarier and intimidating at night. It was a long way to the showers but she was safe in the knowledge that this part of the place had been cleared, oh, and that there was a knife tucked safely into her waist band. You can never be so prepared. As her fingers dragged gently across the thick yellow lines she suddenly felt so alone, like the dark walls were enveloping her in her inner loneliness. Shaking her head she rushed forward to the showers, pushing open the door-only to find Rick occupying the middle shower. Stark naked.

"Oh!" she breathed loudly, already backing up.

Rick jumped from the sudden sound of her voice. Amelia yelped as he tried to hide his most private parts from her with his own gasp. He was scrambling now, trying to find his towel. Amelia had dropped her belongings to cover her eyes. The damage was done, she had already seen everything.

"I'm so sorry Rick! I should of knocked" and she pushed out of the door, leaving her things. Embarrassment ringing through her ears. God damn! No longer wanting a shower she rushed back to her cell. The image or Rick burned into her head. As he face turned a deeper shade of red she hoped she would forget the image and Rick would forget it even happened.


	20. Chapter 20

Please read- As promised another chapter for today! I know some of you are really going to enjoy a particular scene in this haha. Let me know what you guys think!-Abbie

The closet groping

The temperature had dropped quickly within the middle of the night as the sky opened and laid a storm all around the prison. Amelia had never liked storms, they kept her awake but she managed to sleep for a few hours. Forcing herself asleep was the only thing she could do, knowing that she was going into a town full of walkers wasn't clever if she was tired. Daryl slept easily on his perch but he had shifted from her sight, only his feet where visible from where she lay. It was rather odd of him but she was in no mood to talk to him. It was only when she really thought about the amount of time they would be spending together did the nagging feeling come back to her, it was going to be awkward and she didn't work at her best with those. Amelia also had the image of Ricks embarrassment from their last encounter and she knew if anyone would of seen her running out it could look awfully suspicious.

There was only her and Daryl at breakfast, sitting away from each other as they silently ate. Amelia had never been so happy to see a sleepy, dishevelled Maggie. Maggie slipped into the seat next to her, groaning into her coffee.

"Rough night?" Amelia asked, taking a sip of her own cup. Blanching at the taste she decided she really fucking hated the apocalypse.

"Daddy was up half the night in pain. The nerves in his leg are really playing up" and she rubbed her face.

Amelia felt sorry for her, she was always going to be frightened about losing her father, the once completely strong minded man. He was weak now, a liability to the group and now he was suffering.

"We're going on a run today. I can maybe try looking for something for muscle pain? Might help" Amelia offered. Back in her army days they where always supplied with muscle rub, the stuff stunk so badly but it did the job. It prevented any further damage to the muscle and Amelia knew it would help Hershel.

"If it's not to much that would be amazing! He's already taking a few of those painkillers you brought back but he's being stubborn. He doesn't want to be the one to have used them all"

"Men" she Amelia joked. The whole lengthy conversation thing really wasn't coming easy to her but she was trying, her progress was hopefully being noticed. Oh she had come such a long way from screaming at them.

–

Daryl watched from under his eye lashes as the two women in front of them talked. He was being careful today, trying not to let anything tip him further over the edge. The last few days had fucked with his head. He would of given anything just to go hunting for a few days, to clear the noisy thoughts polluting his mind but Rick needed him. Speaking of Rick, the leader of their little humble abode waltzed into the kitchen like a tornado. Amelia's back stiffened infront of him and he suddenly felt compelled to watch them.

"Er Morning ladies" Rick smiled as he stopped infront of them.

"Morning Rick!" Maggie greeted happily.

"Rick about last night-"Amelia started.

Rick blushed and looked down. Never in the whole time Daryl had met Rick did he blush so fiercely in front of a woman. He was normally so composed.

"Forget it. It was just an accident. Make sure you do knock next time" he laughed a little. Daryl couldn't work out what Amelia was supposed to be forgetting but it made him feel uncomfortable. He rushed to get out of the prison, he would rather spend the day with the walkers than suffocating.

–

Amelia was the first in the truck, backpack and list ready. Everyone in the camp had come up to her asking if she could possibly get them something, if it wasn't too much trouble and she was already irritated. It was selfish in her eyes. Going out, risking her life and all they could think about what items that didn't really matter. Unless you where Glenn who had asked sheepishly for a pack of condoms. Daryl was soon sliding his usual quiet self into the driving seat, ignoring her.

Amelia leaned back double checking everything was in order in her mind. Eye's close with nothing but the sound of the engine roaring to life and the wheels going over gravel to entertain her. Daryl was going to be awfully difficult today. A huge list of things made today even harder, she knew that Daryl wouldn't want to waste time on trivial things but she had promised them. Hell if it got them off her back and helped her to pull her weight she would do it.

"We'll be there in ten minutes" Daryl's rough voice came from the drivers side.

Amelia didn't say anything but she opened her eyes, appreciating the update but not enough to actually open her mouth. He looked different to her today, he had a wash it seemed. His hair wasn't slick and there was no smudges of mud on his face and arms. Maybe Carol had forced him into having a shower. Oh she wished she had seen that.

_Well you still got to see Rick! Oh hot damn._

It was back and there was nothing she could do about it now. Amelia was going to have to grit her teeth and deal with it. Amelia was a woman of her word. It was the foundation of her whole personality. Amelia wasn't just a pretty girl who knew her way around an armoury. No, Amelia was a lot more, held a lot of substance. There was just to much vulnerability in her to really show it.

Amelia suddenly felt the truck begin to slow and she looked out of the front window. They where just before the town and already she could see walkers.

"Shit!" he hissed, ready to hit reverse.

"No."Amelia stopped him. "We have to go in" she breathed, taking a look at him and to the stray straggling at their back end.

"You crazy?! We wont make it out alive" he growled.

Amelia grabbed her backpack and swung it around, looping her arms through and pulling the straps down. Prepared. Ready to battle.

"Look we have a few things. We've used fuel already. We might as well try and get something out of this" and she reached for the door and flung herself out of it. Slamming her fist into the drooling female walker that had approached, she bent for her knife and planted it into it's brain "Weak bitch" she hissed.

Daryl was out like a shot, backing her up with bow in hand. His eye's darting to every angle, trying to work out the easiest way to avoid a build up. He was starting to sweat, she could see it on his brow.

"We're in then we're out"

"Only if we have each other's back. I'll go alone if you don't have my back Daryl" she hissed, coming right into his face, trying to read his eyes. Trying to find some safety. He nodded roughly and signalled to take the only path in. Amelia was quick, she began to jog into the eerily deserted town. There was about twenty walkers in the centre of town so far, if they could avoid them they could get by, just. He saw what she did and nodded, signalling for her to go into an empty Barbour on the outskirts.

Amelia pushed through the door without a hesitation and flinched when the bell above it ringed. Daryl pushed past her and took the walker out that was hovering towards the exit. His eye's expertly scanned the rooms looking for doors that they could spring from. Amelia ran to the dead walker, pressed her boot to it's face and yanked the bow out. A sickening crunch bounced of the small room.

"We got two stops before we hit the store. If we go around the back we can avoid em'" Daryl said as he looked out of the back window.

"How many?" she asked.

He squinted, his jaw set in a hard line "Ten"

"Five each!" she exclaimed sarcastically. "Take the left and I'll have the right, we slip in a zig zag format and they won't be able to keep up"

Daryl nodded, liking the idea from hunter to hunter.

They pushed on now. Sweat running from both of them, both afraid that this could be there last moments on the earth as a human being. Amelia thought for a split second about the pain she might endure and whether Daryl would take mercy on her. Daryl at that moment pulled out his knife, jumped and dived on the walker next to her. It snarled angrily as the blade penetrated it's decaying skull.

"Thanks" she breathed. Amelia brought her leg up and drop kicked the one snarling for her. It didn't take a second to execute the old man that has half of his ribs and stomach missing. When Amelia found Daryl he was taking down a teenager that Amelia knew had once worked in the food store, from the logo on his filthy shirt.

It was over within eight minutes and Amelia was grateful. It was hard working having to fight to survive while worrying about another person. However she managed. Just. As they slipped into the next building, a small pharmacy Daryl grabbed her hand. Amelia turned in surprise but he brought his fingers to her mouth and pulled her into him. There was five walkers, sat on the floor of the small building. Eye's blinking wildly. Amelia began to back up, pushing him back but there was no where to go. Dary's hand gripped hers too tightly then and the next thing she knew she was being turned and pushed into a dark space. He shut the door quietly.

"We wait them out" he whispered. His hot breath on the side of her cheek. Amelia knew they where in some store room, it was small and compact but she could make out through the crack of the door that they where surrounded by little white boxes. Amelia could smell soap on his skin and his natural scent. It was almost hypnotising and calming.

"We can take them. There's only five" she whispered, her heart pounding in her ear.

Daryl's thumb nervously circled her wrist. "No" and he pushed her further into the cupboard, afraid he was going to be heard "There's a group of them outside the window. Too much noise" she nodded against his shoulder, there being no space now between them. Amelia could feel how rigid he was against her and knew he wasn't the type to feel comfortable by the slightest touch. She wished she could give him space.

A loud guttural groan came from outside the door and she flinched, her hand twitched for the knife in her back pocket. Daryl placed his hands over her hips now, as if steadying her. Amelia's hands lay awkwardly at her sides unsure on whether she should do as he was. His body felt hot, his skin that was on hers felt like it was burning her and her breathing was almost non existent.

"Fuck" she breathed out, beginning to feel a little claustrophobic.

"Shh!" he whispered into her ear, sending shivers to the bottom of her spine.

The groaning from outside got louder and she knew they they where close now, as if they could smell them. Amelia was nervous, she didn't like being backed into a corner when her enemy was so ready and prepared to maul her to death. Daryl's bow was pressing into their sides, excluding the little bit of free room they had and it was all becoming too much.

"They know we're here" she whispered, her hand reaching up to touch his chest. He had to pay attention to her.

"I know but the ones outside are gone" All this time he had been straining to hear outside, not the ones closest and she had never in her life felt so happy to hear that. He was smart and she hadn't really given him the credit.

"Feel my knife?" he whispered.

"Excuse me?" she blustered. He hissed, grabbing her hand that lay on his chest and pushed it down towards his crotch area. Blinking furously at the action she soon felt relieved to find her hand twisting around his back to get at the knife sticking out of his jeans.

"They're gunna' open the door. I'll push you around. Take the first down and I'll be right behind you" and she nodded quickly, formulating what kind of throw she was going to use.

"Amelia. I'm, er sorry about-" and the door flung open. Amelia pushed Daryl by and dived for the large drooling freak. Daryl was by her side, firing his bows at the rest that pushed their way to the front.

It was harder this time. They where trying to force them back into the cupboard so that they would have to fight blind. Amelia grabbed her own knife and took two down in one hit, being splashed across the chest with dark mattered blood. Once the store was clear Amelia began picking up any pill and muscle cream she could carry, shoving it into her backpack. Daryl took lookout as she scanned the isle for Glenn's request. Getting frustrated with her lack of knowledge she was desperate to ask Daryl where they would be but too embarrassed to out right say she had never bought condoms, or had sex. A twenty six year old virgin, to afraid to be that intimate. Oh and being in the special forces since she was five left no time for boys.

Amelia nearly screamed with relief when she found the dusty shelf littered with Durex condoms and lubricant, she didn't think as she pushed them all into her bag. Daryl looked at her then, his eyebrows raised.

"They're for Glenn" she shrugged, pink tingeing her pale cheeks.

"All of them?"

"Well I didn't know what kind so-"

"To much information" he groaned. "Oh fuck. Get to the back! Go!" he growled as a heard of walkers attacked the windows and doors. He was by her side within a second, pushing her towards the exit. As they flung themselves into the bright outdoors it was coming clear that they where about to be swarmed, boxed in, eaten.

"We gotta go!" he yelled, pulling her towards the way they had come. Amelia's eyes darted around the place landing on a large delivery truck that lay across the back bays. It had to be their safety net.

"WAIT!" She yelled "There! That has to be something" she screamed, running towards it, darting in and out of the freaks. Amelia was fast and her body wouldn't let her forget it. Daryl was slowly making his way through them when he screamed to her.

"We gotta fucking go!" but she couldn't. As she slipped into the delivery truck she found the keys hanging in the ignition. Twisting it quickly it roared to life. Daryl heard the engine and ran, fifteen walkers raging for him, for his skin. As she pushed her feet down onto the pedals he had just managed to shut his door. Amelia took down as many walkers as she could on the way out, not stopping or swerving. The sweat dripping from both of them now was the proof that they had come to close.

"Are you mad woman? You coulda got us killed back there?" he hissed as she came up towards there pick up.

"I just got us out. Calm your horses" she breathed, trying to calm her nerves and to stop the adrenalin snarling through her veins. Daryl growled as he jumped out ready to get back in the pick up.

Amelia knew from the way she had driven the delivery van that there was something heavy in the back. It took almost the amount of fuel in it just to get it moving. Ignoring Daryl's demand for her to get into the truck she rushed to the back and flung up the white doors.

"Oh shit!" she screamed.

A scream of joy echoed the whole side of the woods they where on. Amelia had never been so happy in her life. Not only had they gotten out alive but they had landed the mother load of food. Everything from tinned food to packets of water, biscuits and bottled water sat in the mysterious delivery van. Female hygiene products, mens razors, gardening tools for beginners, seeds, nuts all shone brightly down on her. And that was only what was at the front.

Daryl came up behind her and whistled a low but deep whistle of appreciation.

"God damn. You are one lucky son of a bitch!" and he patted her on the back. Amelia was ecstatic and she turned around and enveloped him in a rare but awkward hug. He flinched massively as he felt her breasts press into his chest and the sweet aroma of her hair assault his nostrils but he managed to let her enjoy the moment.

"Oh everyone's going to be so happy. We wont have to do a run for a while!"


	21. Chapter 21

Don't let out first kiss end up like this.

The drive back was incredibly exciting for Amelia as she followed Daryl in the delivery van. Oh she was excited, excited to see the way Carl's face lit up when she saw that Daryl and Amelia had both delivered yet again. Rick would be so happy, another worry lifted from his already burdened shoulders. This was going to give them the chance to make the prison a real home now. Ignoring the fact she was covered in blood and guts and her hair was knotted she had never been so excited in her life to see the prison.

Everyone began to group outside at the front gate, not completely aware of the person driving behind Daryl and this only excited her even more. Waiting until Daryl was in she quickly put her foot on the gas, braked and spun the delivery van around so that the back entrance was facing them. Daryl was quick to help her out, ignoring everyone's questions.

"We got a few surprises for ya Rick" Daryl smirked as he unlocked the back of the delivery van and pushed up the door. There was a collection of screams, giggles and sighs of relief as the mother load came into sight. Rick had never been so happy to see that lorry in all his life. He walked up to them both, his hands out stretched in disbelief. He touched the closest boxes to him knowing that this was survival, right infront of him.

"You did it again?"

"Sure did. Amelia ere' saw it and went for it. Nearly got us killed like but look, we aint got to keep going on runs" and he took a step back so that Rick could get a better view into the deep van.

He whistled "That's about four months stock, five if we stretch it" he breathed.

Amelia chuckled slightly when she found Carl, mouth open and eye's wide at the surprises they had bought back.

"There's a few things in there for you" she said, grabbing his hand and bringing him closer to the delivery van.

"What is it?" he asked her, blinking.

Amelia reached in and grabbed a razor set for men and shoved it into his hands. "You're a man now. Gotta' sort that little fluff on your cheeks" and she nudged him playfully. Carl giggled and pushed her slightly. Rick laughed with such ease he watched his son disdainfully take in the new razor set he had just been given. Within minutes everyone was doing their best to unload the truck, taking a few seconds to check the boxes contents. Daryl and Glenn where especially happy when they found a box of vodka and whiskey, declaring the night a celebration. Hershel however seemed awfully quiet which brought Amelia's attention to him.

Reaching in her bag she began pulling tubes of muscle warmer and healer and passing it to his daughter Maggie who was stood right by him.

"I couldn't forget you now could I?" she said as she fixed her face with a warm smile.

"Now you didn't put yourself in harms way just to get this?" he chided.

"Who me!?" and she winked playfully "But seriously this should help. If you need anything else you just ask okay?"

"Young lady I don't want to make myself a nuisance. Just cause' I lost half my leg don't mean I can't get my own stuff"

Amelia still smiled "I know your fully capable Hershel, hell you could probably kick my ass at sprinting but you just know that I've got your back, okay?"

Hershel fixed her with a deep stare, not quite understanding the woman stood before him but he knew his first impressions had been right. This woman was something different, a miracle, one of gods last angels to him. He leaned into her, steadying himself with a crutch and side hugged her.

Shocked and a little nervous Amelia rubbed his arm.

"And I got yours!" he laughed, wiggling his crutch at her.

"If you let me attach a few knives to it I might believe you on that one" she joked. Hershel laughed which sounded like a deep rumble in a cave before he went back into the prison to help Carol begin organising all of their new finds. The last person to deliver goods to was Glenn who was currently skulking around her, waiting until everyone had done thanking her.

Amelia knew he didn't want a big fuss so she walked up to him casually "Can you take my backpack back to my cell? I gotta' help Daryl and Rick finish up here" and she placed it in his hands.

A smile of relief brightened his beautiful skin as he took it, mouthing her a quick thank you before he sprinted back up to the prison. No doubt in Amelia's mind that he was going to find Maggie and take her into one of the deep corners of the prison.

Amelia blushed.

As she turned around, losing her footing on a loose stone she abruptly fell into Daryl's arms.

"Woah!" she breathed, her face flushing for what felt like the billionth time that day.

"You good?" he grunted as he helped steady her.

"Er yes I think so. Thanks" and she looked up at him then, to find him close again just like they had been in the closet. Amelia was so close she could see his Adams apple bob nervously when he swallowed. It wasn't just her that was scared of these intimate situations.

"You did good today" he said, bluntly.

"So did you" she breathed.

"I feel like all I do is apologise to you. Truce?"

Amelia laughed a little, trying to push down the memories of Daryl losing his shit with her and she nodded in agreement. Clouded with the thought of his hands on her today and his breath so warm on the nape of her neck she couldn't really do much.

"We look like shit" she said, spotting the red gunk covering the top of his right arm.

"Showers for us"

Amelia looked away, remembering the time she was so badly beaten that he had to help her in the shower, see her naked, touch her. Amelia didn't like that he had the affect to make herself doubt everything around her. One minute he was with her the next her didn't want to even be touched by her. How could he be so cold but so warm at the same time?

"Hm..." and she turned away slowly, trying not to invoke any more anger in him. He didn't seemed fazed, he didn't really know what he was doing as he followed her up to the prison. It was all he could do to try and stop himself from watching the way her hips swayed in her jeans, the way her hair dangled passed her hips...everything.

"You, er, you know wanna go get a drink?" he asked, getting into step with her, his trusty cross bow at his side "We earned it. Plus Rick said the whole group can-"

"Sure Daryl" she smiled, trying not to take the invitation personally. She was sure it was just something to fill the little journey with "But I must worn you I haven't had a drink in over a year. I may not be able to handle it"

Daryl grunted "You aint' the only one" and she saw a small smirk begin to form on his small lips. A sight like that was really rare with him and she felt incredibly honoured, for some strange reason. The girl that had been the top survivor and bitch was being to feel warm, beginning to let people in, to trust them again. This place was safety and history couldn't repeat itself.

Right?

–

"No no! So I said to the guy, look you have to pay for the pizza because you ordered it" Glenn joked before taking another swig of his drink "He went inside. I was relieved my boss wasn't going to fire me but then this massive dog came out and chased me down the path!"

The whole group erupted in laughter as Glenn merrily told his story from his good old pizza boy days. Maggie loved to listen to him talk about his past, she felt in some small way that she was getting to know every part of him and Amelia could see that.

"I still held on to that bloody pizza though. Screw you weird guy I ate your pizza in the back of my car!" Glenn laughed taking yet another hefty sip of vodka from the bottle.

Amelia laughed along with everyone else, gently sipping her own drink, afraid to let her guard down but not wanting to be the party pooper. It was Daryl who was sat by her side that prompted her to get more involved.

"Tell us one of ya stories" he leered happily, relaxing back into his chair around the camp fire.

Amelia shrugged "I don't really have any good ones"

"No cm'on Amelia. You must have some kick ass story" Glenn cheered. Amelia looked to everyone around the group, not quite sure on what sort of story they wanted. Amelia didn't really have any normal stories like they did. Most of them involved violence or death.

"I guess I have one that wont upset the little ears in the group" she smiled.

"Go on!" Hershel cheered.

"Okay...I was training for six weeks when I was fifteen. I had a huge crush on one of the other guys in my group" and she blushed "I tried really hard to get his attention but he wasn't interested. Told the other guys that girls shouldn't be in the special forces"

Amelia grinned wickedly down at Carl who was at her other side, eating his pasta and sauce.

"I didn't like that. I snuck into his dorm one night all riled up and upset to find him sleeping in his bed. Me being the type of person I am I decorated his uniform with glitter and tinsel I had found in the dollar store just up the road. I wrote 'bad bitch' in barbie pink glitter on the back of his shirt"

"Noooo! You didn't?" Glenn asked, amazed by her story. Amelia almost choked with laughter at how interested he was.

"Yup. He came out the next day looking like one of Elton John's parade boats. As our drill Sargent chased him around the campus I sat back with pride"

Everyone began to laugh at her little story and Amelia suddenly felt like she was a normal person. It was odd how actually letting people in helped, it removed the burden and walls that sometimes became so heavy to carry.

"Anyway!" she continued "he respected my joke after that and deemed me and women suitable to be in the special forces. We became best friends after that" and she continued the tight smile when she remembered Kyle, her long lost friend.

"I think women are just as strong as men!" Carl interjected, receiving a playful shove from Amelia. This kid really did want to please her.

"You keep thinkin' like that Carl. It'll get you places!" Daryl joked only for Carl to blush red, Beth to grimace and Hershel to scowl in his direction. Amelia looked at Daryl, surprised to see him so happy and open and she decided she liked it.

"Can you tell us a real cool story Amelia? Like one of your missions or somethin'?" Carl asked gently, eager to use his chance.

"Maybe another time. Nobody wants to hear it tonight plus we have young company with us" she looked over to a sleeping Judith in Carols arms. Carol smiled warmly, appreciating the gesture.

–

Daryl was plastered, incredibly so as Amelia helped him back to his perch. It had been plainly obvious that he was out to have a good time and forget the stress of the past year but he had forgotten his control button.

Amelia helped him up the stairs, ignoring his mutterings about how deer were so fuckin' majestic and that she should never hurt one of the special creatures. Amelia just laughed, enjoying the light heartened moment. It reminded her of her own boys back at their base, she was always the sensible one.

"My boots- why wont they come off?" he hissed as he fell to his bed.

Amelia bent down, quickly working her hands over his laces and beginning to tug them off.

"I am glad you're here" he groaned as she pulled the last one off "You're nice under it all" he mumbled, his eye's drooping. "Plus you got a nice ass"

"Daryl!" she hissed "Shut up and go to sleep"

He laughed into his pillow, his eye lids no longer having the energy to look at her.

"You do though. Nice tits too" he mumbled. Amelia glared down at him wanting very much to give him a swift kick but she regained her composure and quickly put it down to the bottle of whiskey in his system. Daryl had never a much as smiled at her mind compliment her on her physique. Now the alcohol was definitely doing all the talking. Amelia stood up and made a move to go to her own cell.

"No!" he whispered, reaching for her blindly.

"I'll be just here! Go to sleep you ass!" she whispered back, kicking off her boots in her cell. Drunk Daryl Dixon wasn't happy with that, at all, he suddenly found the drunken energy to pull himself up and swayingly walked himself in to her cell. "Daryl get out. I'm too tired for this" she moaned, hands on her hips trying to get her point across without losing it.

He just smirked as he crawled onto the small bed, trying to take his jeans off. Amelia was the first to stop him, afraid of just how awkward he was going to make it but he took this as a positive sign. He pulled her quickly onto him, flipping her on her side so he could tuck her into him. Amelia hadn't even had a chance to breathe.

"Nice ass" He grumbled into her ear as he lazily draped an arm over her side. Within seconds a drunk Daryl Dixon had spooned and fell asleep next to/on Amelia Princely. Amelia angrily lay there, feeling totally embarrassed and unprepared. Tomorrow was going to be so painfully awkward


	22. Chapter 22

Please read- Short and sweet today but I've had a killer day at work and I'm saving the best for when I have time to write them properly. I hope you all enjoy this though, some of you will be happy at a certain progression. Oh and a little note, it was recently pointed out that I've gotten Tyreese's wife's name wrong, I apologise this because my research wasn't as thorough but I think it's easier just to stick with it. Thanks guys! Please review as I love reading all your comments-Abbie

Make the bed and lets lie in it.

The rain was only light as she began her run, light on her feet as she ran around the prison. The forces of mother nature wasn't in a very good mood as she opened up her heart and poured down upon Amelia's body. It didn't stop her though, if anything she was spurred on by the tiny bullets of water hitting her shoulders and bare arms. It freed her from the worries and stress of being in close proximity to normal people. It was easier being around people that knew what it was like, to be trapped within yourself and used only as a killing machine.

"Amelia!" Carol yelled as she tried to keep out of the rain. "Amelia come inside! It's not safe out here"

"I'm good" she shouted, pushing past the pain in her ribs. It would be along time before she was a hundred percent perfect. "I only have one more lap" she yelled through the rain.

Carol seemed lost, not sure whether to come out and drag her in herself or to go get Rick. Deciding on going back into the building Amelia pushed on, her hair completely soaking leaving it heavy on her neck she sped up. It was all about pushing her limits, letting her mind do one thing and one thing only. Thunder rattled behind her, scaring her but she almost laughed with joy as her body propelled further. Having circled the prison another three times she called it a day, barely having to take a breath. Pushing herself through the door to find the whole group crowded around the tables, heads in hands and downing cups of coffee from the night before. These people couldn't handle their drink.

"Morning!" she beamed happily as she ruffled her white hair up.

"Ugereeegh!" Glenn groaned.

"I see everyone's feeling good this morning. Hey Glenn how do you feel about vodka now?" Amelia joked as she patted him on the back, a rough groan falling from his uneasy face.

"I never want to see that stuff again. God alcohol is ever. Why did you let me get like that?" He whined to Maggie who was smugly smiling in the corner, hands cupping her bland apocalypse coffee.

"Ya'll are grown adults now. You make your own decisions" and she winked at Amelia, enjoying being apart of the teasing.

Rick feeling fresh as a daisy also joined in, poking fun at Glenn's and Daryl's weak state. Rick, Amelia known would have been in the same situation if he hadn't been on guard duty last night but all the same she liked that he was joining in.

Daryl grunted, swatting away Rick's hand and groaned when he moved his head a little. Obviously not a big drinker he had pushed himself too far last night. Amelia had completely forgotten that she was soaked to the bone until Carol quickly pointed out that she was covered in goosebumps and shivering slightly. Unaware of her body she silently decided it would be best if she got dressed but she had something to do, something to say first.

Amelia stood there surveying the room for Daryl. He had been a pain in the neck last night. It had taken her two attempts to escape the heavy arms of a drunken Daryl. Frustrated and tired she snatched his blanket from his long forgotten bed and found a spare cell. He had made her feel uncomfortable. Finding him, crouched over a bowl she was uncertain of his mood. It becomes clear to Amelia that Daryl didn't remember a thing, nor his crude because of the way he looked up, blankly at her as if he could see straight through. Inwardly she flinched, deciding it wasn't worth saying anything and she rushed off to her cell. Embarrassed.

Angry and frustrated at her weak emotions she roughly grabbed at her clothes and pulled them off. Forgetting there was no solid door and that anyone could see her. As she yanked off her sopping wet black trousers she turned, moving the grab her only spare when she saw Carl stood there, wide eyes, blushing madly.

"Carl what the hell!?" She screamed reaching for a towel to cover her half makes naked body.

"I, er, I didn't mean to!" He spluttered, turning his back to face her "I just came to ask you If we were training today?" And she could feel the embarrassment radiate from the both of them. His voice had gone weaker and she suddenly had no anger left.

"Yeah we're still on for training. You can go now Carl!" Practically pushing him to join the others "oh and don't tell anyone about this!"

"I won't! Promise Amelia" he yelled excitedly as he took the stairs two at a time. Amelia hurriedly pulled on her dry clothes and pushed her long, thick hair into a damp bun. It didn't really matter, vanity that was. Amelia still looked effortless though, her skin clear but pale, her hair long and straight, her eyes big and green...to her however she was just another plane Jane.

Daryl however felt totally different. He realised that as he woke with a hangover which was able to crack the earth, that he had acted on his impulses. His resolve weakened by the heavy alcohol polluting his conscious. Her eyes where all he could see when he woke up, bright with surprise. When he remembered complimenting her crudely he grimaced, feeling weak by his sexual and emotional needs. The way she was fearless attracted to his darker side, trying to pull him, trying to make him see her. Every day he tried to push her away. He was just some dumb redneck after all, nothing to offer no body. He was littered with scars of how pathetic he was, his personality damaged by a damaged sibling and his heart icey from a mother that just wouldn't care.

Amelia looked at him like a clean slate everytime, never holding him to the stuff he had said or done. He had never had that, he had only been looked at with disgust and pity. He got use to it, hell he liked it because it meant people wouldn't bother him. Amelia bothered him. To his core. Everytime she looked at him she opened up her pain, to put it out there that he wasn't alone.

Being alone was all that Daryl knew. Killing and surviving where his most prided skills. What did he have to offer to anyone? Other than killing a few walkers every now and then.

As he stood there, behind the metal stairs with his brain going into over drive he couldn't help but stare up. Her long slender legs perfectly joining her firm bum, to which when she turned, came from a perfect dip of her back. It was all he could do to stop, knowing that he had already gone to far.

He had only come to apologise for the way he had spoken to her. Instead he was stuck. Staring. Wanting. Needing. But refusing. He was no good. Shy and inexperienced just to stomp in there and grab her, kiss her pouty mouth and push her down. He felt the rejection already. He had never done well with trying to project his feelings, he could barely tell Carol that he was sorry for never finding Sophia. Regret and guilt hit him like a bow to the heart. It was no use.

As she turned, her mouth pulled down into a frown he was quickly pulled from his intimate thoughts. As she walked down the steps he hid further into the shadows, biting down on his chapped bottom lip.

_Son of a bitch. Can't even quit being a pussy for one damn second._

–

As Amelia walked out prison finally feeling comfortable in herself she searched eagerly for Carl. His gangly frame wasn't that hard to miss when he ran around the prison wearing an overly large sheriffs hat. Shouting him to come over she began to prepare their little exercise and smirked. Carl wasn't going to like today but he had to learn the hard way. Just as Carl reached her Carol intercepted, a worn expression on her lips.

"You okay Carol?" she asked, as she checked her small hand rifle that was normally tucked into the back of her jeans.

Carol chewed her lips as she shifted "I don't want to be any trouble but I was wondering if you could help me with something" and she looked down.

"Sure Carol. Anything"

"Can you help me with my knife. I know you're busy teaching Carl but it's something I need to learn to" and she puffed her chest out, happy with herself for asking for help.

"Damn right. Everyone needs to learn these skills. You wanna' join in now?" Amelia smiled warmly, well she hoped it was warmly. Carol smiled right back, knife in hand already and Carl who had just joined her side grinned. To him this was another win for the group with them finally accepting her. Carl had liked her almost instantly. He trusted her and he thought they should. Carol was normally the most welcoming so when she wasn't he began to feel a little worried.

"Lift your knife for me Carol, like you're about to take me down" Amelia said, rounded on her.

Carol was slow to react, afraid of getting it wrong and like Carl looking stupid. Amelia found the notion strangely sweet, they were still holding on to past morales and values even when there was drooling freaks stood by the fences ready to tear them apart without a second thought.

As Carol lifted her knife Amelia was already sizing up the best options on how to teach Carol to be more powerful with her weapon. A reasonable sized knife which didn't weigh much still seemed off in Carols hand.

"Carol don't be scared of it. It's your protection" and Amelia placed her her fingers around Carol's and squeezed tighter "When it comes for you don't you let go. You grip and take control of your fate" she squeezed tigher "The harder, deeper it goes in the quicker the kill and the quicker your ass is out of the hot zone"

Carl nodded agreeingly "You can do it Carol. I've seen you take them down. You just need to listen to Amelia"

"So if I hold it here and push like this" And what Amelia saw from Carol she knew that the woman had watched everything Amelia had previously taught Carl. It was nice to know that even when they didn't exavtly see eye to eye she still believed in her skills.

"Yes! Exactly Carol. Just a little bit more force and you'll be good until we go on to the harder stuff" Carol beamed at her for the first time, she was a pretty lady. Silver shiny hair that was getting a little too long to be a pixie cut and her frame was getting smaller. If Amelia could help this woman a little more that was another wrong undone on her list. It would be easy right?

Carols hand suddenly fell slack and Amelia watched slowly as the knife descended towards her feet, shoving Carl she quickly kicked the handle of the knife, sending it flying across the yard. It was all done before Carol could gasp. Carl and Amelia both looked to the cause of surprise on Carol's face and it was Daryl Dixon cuddling baby Judith, feeding her the second meal of the day.

"Maybe we should take a break..." Amelia spat, going to pick Carols knife up.


	23. Chapter 23

Please read- Ola Amigos! I specially dedicate this one to every single one of you that has reviewed this story. For all you Amelia lovers thank you so much for your feedback. Im glad you enjoy the kick ass woman that constantly sits in my conscious thoughts. This one will especially please you Amelia+Daryl lovers. We're getting there ;)

-Abbie

Deep down we're all the same, going round, circling in the pain.

It lunged for her face but she pushed it back, kicking it down and pouncing quickly with her knife she forced it to its final death. A gargled scream fell from its rotting mouth but it didn't scare her or force guilt. Amelia was relieved. Daryl and Rick took the strays on the contraptions she had made and she took the rear, protecting their backs. Amelia was better and alot quicker, their chances to get this done easily where all on her and this satisfied her needs to something. Amelia was a do-er always had been.

"Fuckers seem to be losing interest" Daryl grumbled as he poked a female walker in the forehead with the bottom of his bow.

"They're not" Amelia disagreed, ripping one free. It's hand ripped through the air to grab Rick but she took it down before it could even touch him. "They're is still something left in. They aren't as predictable as we think" and she pulled her knife from it's skull.

"What do you think this is?" Rick asked her, ignoring the ones stuck in the rack. A fatale mistake "everyone has the virus but where's it from?" He breathed.

"My guess? I think it was an experiment that went wrong. Trying to find cures for diseases like cancer can't be that safe itself. We're looking at the downfall of science' and Amelia hit out at one of the walkers, pushing her knife up it's neck towards its brain. "When it hit I was in Atlanta. It must of spread through the hospital system before they could contain it because they wouldn't of called us in for nothing."

Daryl was clearing the rest, quickly and effectively while Rick took in what she said in and began to mull it over.

"Do you think humanity can bounce back?" And Amelia looked down at the twitching freak at her feet. it could of once been a house wife, a mother.

"Mother nature is pissed Rick. We're a dying race. We have no scientists, no army and no structure. You think a few strays like us can rebuild?" She seethed as she went on. Survival was all these people knew, none of them had come from the best backgrounds.

"We can learn" was all Rick said with a sad shrug of his shoulders as he turned, leaving Amelia and Daryl to finish. Alone.

"Talk about killing all hope" Daryl grumbled as he cleaned his bows.

Amelia scoffed loudly and dramatically rolled her eyes "oh you can talk Mr I'm so happy all the time yet I never smile and everything you say I jump on the defensive wagon" she mocked, breathing quickly as the sentence flew out of her mouth.

Smirking Daryl flipped her off 'Real mature" she hissed, pushing him a little, only playfully as she was aware he wasn't comfortable with any affection or teasing.

"Woah lady don't get violent with me!" And he pushed her back, with a small smirk.

"Ass!" She laughed as she pushed his chest one last time and moved to get on with the job. He reached out for her then, grabbing her arms and pulling her to face him. His eyes where wide and clear, strong and ready.

"You're wrong. We can come back from this. It's why we're still here" and she felt the wind come up from behind them, her hair flailing around her face and it was like he suddenly realised he was holding her. Letting her fall with, stuck with surprise he turned back to the job. Ignoring the warmth in his finger tips.

Amelia wanted to say something but she just couldn't. What could she possibly say? When her opinions didn't mirror his. It was for the best that she kept quiet. As they worked along side each other silently, only their eyes doing the communicating, it was hard to shift the emotions in their heads. Clouded by fog.

Amelia's eyes caught Daryl's shoulder when he twisted around, a thick puckered scar from his shoulder blade snaked all the way to the nape of his neck. Biting her lip quickly she turned around. Daryl had spoken of his abusive father but she never thought his wounds were physical. She wasn't the only one to have had a 'fucked up father' but she chose to force down her pity. Daryl didn't want pity. Like she didn't. He had respected her in that sense and she would return the favour. His scars shown that he had been through every walks of life and hadn't felt sorry for himself of given up, he was stronger than your average person and he was sure as hell going to let the world know.

"I think we should burn these out in the woods. Maggie said the smell is bothering her"

"It's safer in ere but what the hell. If it shuts her up" and he fastened his knife to his belt and closed the trucks bed he walked to the car. Amelia dutifully followed him, slipping into the familiar seat and putting her feet up on the dashboard. Oh she was tired, the past few days had been a roller coaster of emotions and endless jobs that Rick wanted her to look at. As soon as she got back to the prison she had to look at another generator. Daryl was quiet today, as he pulled out of the prison's second fence and drove on the bumpy ground towards the edge of the woods. A memory flashed past her eyes when she spotted the little opening and it was all she could do to force it back.

_It was his eye's that she could remember. They where willing and needing for her to move, to get out of danger but she felt tied to the floor. As if at any moment she would explode with the slightest movement. Her body hurt, her shoulders stung, her muscles were screaming, her heart was pounding in her ears but she could only focus in on him. He was running, faster and faster, his eye's wide with terror. He was going to watch her be ripped apart, he had seen it before but he didn't want that for her. He pushed his last bit of hope out into the world, begging silently for a miracle. He had never asked for much else._

"Amelia" he snapped, forcing her out of the reverie of emotions.

"Yeah sorry" and she opened the door and jumped out, suddenly aware of the eerie silence between them and the threats surrounding them. Grabbing her knife quickly she went and met Daryl at the back of the pick up.

"We get them out in the middle of this opening quickly then burn em' save us running into anything else we might not see" he said pulling out the first body. A smell of putrid flesh hit her nose and she gagged, turning so Daryl wouldn't see it. He started to smirk and she knew at the end of the day she was going to have to smack him upside the head. Breathing through her mouth she helped carry the bodies into the little opening, placing them down on a tip of soft ground. They had nearly finished when Amelia's foot fell through a hole that had been covered with dead leaves. A slight yelp came from her mouth and she grimaced as the pain hit her ankle bone.

Daryl rushed to her side, swinging his bow to his back so he could use both hands to pull her out. Her foot had become we in the undergrowth and it was proving impossible just to pull her out.

"Shit its really stuck!" she whined, trying to twist it. A shooting pain shot up her right leg like a bright red flare. She was pushing it.

"Stop will ya? Let me just dig it out. Just stop wiggling woman" and he bent down, using his knife to carefully cut her free from most of the growth that decided to take comfort on her warm flesh.

"Is it bad?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. Whenever she was around Daryl she always found herself needing his help. Before she had been on her own, easily surviving without any accidents or needing to let go of any pent up emotions but now it's all that seemed to happen. Maybe it was because she was now completely off her meds but she hoped it wasn't. Grimacing at her lack of attention she really hoped this wouldn't be a problem.

"Nah I'll get you out"

With one flick of his knife something snapped over her boot and she was free but she had no time to react, falling face first onto him, pushing him down onto the ground. He grunted as her elbow connected with his ribs and her long hair flew into his face.

"Fuck sakes!" she growled, trying to push herself off of him but only tangling into his limbs even more.

"Watch where you're putting them hands woman!" he scolded as she narrowly missed his crown jewels. Amelia looked down at him then, confused and slightly dishevelled, she took him in. All of him, her breathing hot and heavy.

–

Daryl felt as if a red light was being shined on his face, inspecting him all of a sudden and he flinched away from the pressure. Was she looking at him in the way he deep down hoped she was? Was this all just jumbled up in his useless brain? Spinning like a washing machine cycle making him feel sick. Daryl knew he as nothin' but a damn red neck with nothing to really offer her but in the self doubt there was something pushing for him, willing him on.

"Shh!" she hissed at him, signalling for his to calm his breathing. He almost blanched at the thought of his breathing being higher with her on top of him. "We got company" and before he could blink her hands snaked to his crotch, brushing it slightly and grabbing for his knife. Suddenly he saw the woman that any sane man would of ran a mile from, she was suddenly fierce and provocative but incredibly dangerous. Turning on his body and jumping up she flung his his knife at the south west tree that was shielding them from the prison. It fell with a thud just infront of them and Amelia was already running to it to grab his knife.

Daryl, sprawled on the ground, only propped up by his elbows was trying to blink his confusion away. When she turned to face him her she was back to her usual self, her expression bright and aware. Holding out a hand for him he grabbed it and she pushed his knife back into his jeans pocket.

"Sorry I just couldn't reach mine" and he saw the smirk across her lips and knew he was in trouble. This was the moment he knew Amelia had been very aware of him and his body and he blushed heavily under the dirt on his face. He coughed, clearing his air waves and made his way back to the walkers, adding the new addition to the pile. Amelia was the one to sit fire to them, pouring a small amount of fuel on them and lighting them up with a single match. It was all they were worth now. As he watched the flames flicker across their grotesque bodies he couldn't help but wonder if he was counted life out too early and then he looked to her. Biting her bottom lip, trying to avoid the smell she was also looking into the flames.

If they had met a year ago things could have been different. Maybe the governor wouldn't of taken the people he cared about like Andrea or forced his brothers death. Maybe Amelia could of taken him out without anyone knowing, saving them all the hurt and destruction. The governor had never made a return but he still felt on edge whenever he really thought back. How could they ever build a future when there was so many damn fucking risks around.

They walked now, back to the pick up with Amelia doing her routinely scout to make sure they where alone when he heard her sigh. Had she been thinking more than she should have? Was all he could think when he heard the soft noise.

"It's a fucking mess" she breathed, looking at him from over the hood of the truck.

"Always has been" he grunted, refusing to look at her.

"Probably always will be knowing my luck" and she laughed a little, turning her attention back to the small burning fire that was probably going to attract more walkers. "As long as I don't end up like that I think I'll manage with what I have"

Daryl suddenly felt a great sense of guilt within the bottom of his stomach. How he could of doubted her now became such a serious crime in his head. Amelia had never been anything but honest, never hiding her personality from anyone. If you didn't like that then that was your problem. He liked it. Rick had seen it straight away and he began to feel envious that he hadn't, that he was so caught up in feeling for his dead brother that he had missed something incredibly important.


	24. Chapter 24

Please read- I'm off work now so I will be making the updates longer and possibly twice a day depending on how much you guys review of course. It's going to get real interesting soon. I have a lot to destroy haha. Enjoy guys! Let me know what you think

Be careful for what you wish for.

_The light smothered her creamy skin as she backed into the nearest window, painfully injured and desperate. He was coming for her and she knew it in her heart. He would come through those doors, taking down her enemy and rescue her. He would. Instead the hungry creatures swayed closer and closer as she tried to move, ignoring the blood seeping through her long pale fingers. A gun shot wound to the abdomen left Amelia weak and unable to move or defend herself. Death was upon her and not a one she was happy with, hell she didn't want to go being eaten alive or bit so she would come back as a monster she resented. No. As her bloodied, shaky fingers pulled up her gun just under her chin she thought of him. Thought of the hurt he was going to feel. Amelia couldn't bear it. As tears of pain and sadness trickled down her dirty face she knew that what she was doing was right. She didn't want to turn just like his brother had. Amelia didn't want Daryl to put her down._

_A soft pull on the trigger ended it all._

Amelia's eyes snapped open instantly with a scream lurking in the back of her throat coming as a gargle. It had all be too real, she was desperately trying to see through the dark to reassure herself that she was safe. As she pushed herself up, a light sweat glistening on the top of her forehead.

"Ugh" she breathed, trying to rid herself of the dream.

"Amelia?" Daryl croaked, clearing his throat as he came back into the conscious.

"I'm fine. Sorry. Go back to sleep" she whispered, her tone dipping low when she remembered his face in her dream.

"You good?" he asked but his voice implying he wanted to know whether she had another one of her panic inducing attacks.

"Yeah course" and she pulled her blanket around her shivering shoulders. It was a cold night in the prison and going from being hot to cold hadn't been the best. Amelia heard a light shuffle outside and there suddenly stood a tall figuring, blocking out the moonlight that sprayed her room.

"You're a shit liar woman" he growled, entering her little cell, bowing his head so he could sit at the bottom of her bed. Amelia could just make out his face through the darkness, he looked so tired and stretched thin.

"Go back to sleep Daryl. You look tired" she mumbled, putting her head on her knees.

"Nah I'm okay. Couldn't sleep anyway" and she heard him sigh. "Wanna' talk about it? Carol said women liked to talk about this crap. Helps em' feel better or some shit like that" he mumbled lightly, trying to avoid saying the wrong thing.

Amelia rolled her eyes playfully in the dark, aware he wouldn't see her "Just one of the dreams that catch you off guard. It wasn't a memory this time"

"That's your brains way of tryna' fuck with you" he nodded, she could tell by the way his hair bobbed a little. "You gotta' forget about it and get some sleep. That's the most important thing"

"Look at you being all helpful" she joked; pushing him slightly, hoping he wouldn't fly into a rant. Instead he stopped her and pulled her to him, she gasped at the connection of the skin but had no choice but to go with him. Sitting dutifully by his side he threw a cautious arm around her shoulders.

"Carol said girls like hugs" he mumbled, looking down.

"Carol says a lot of things" Amelia whispered back awkwardly but secretly enjoying the new found comfort in his warm skin. It took her everything not to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Do you women not like it then?" he asked, suddenly feeling embarrassed that he may have gotten it wrong.

"Depends on the woman" Amelia laughed, pressing into him a little tighter to make him feel more comfortable with his quick decision. Everything was easier in the dark she found, no longer feeling too awkward, she began to let herself enjoy him. Although she shouldn't she couldn't help but intensify her own excitement with this new level of relationship. To anyone else this would have been more than natural but Amelia had never been close with anyone before, other than her best friend Kyle but that was different.

"We have a fuckin' apocalypse and women still have a book of rules"

–

They had spoke briefly before Amelia had fallen asleep on Daryl's shoulder. He decided the best option was to leave so he layed her down, briefly pulling her blanket up and escaping back to his perch. As he got down, his head on his backpack he realised that her smell was on him, all over him and it was becoming intoxicating. A soft groan escaped his lips as he turned onto his side. Squeezing his eye's shut and willing sleep to come back to him. Quickly his thoughts began to wander dangerously.

When he was younger he had liked this girl that use to live across the street from him. A beautiful Latino girl with long dark hair that touched the back of her ankles. In Daryl's area there where no posh or rich people. Everyone was poor and came from broken homes. He thought she would be able to accept him. It was like she couldn't see him because every time he worked up the courage to talk to her she would just walk past or turn around, afraid of him. It was heart breaking for him every time. He doubted himself, believed his old man's words when he had told him that no woman would ever look at him with anything but pity but most importantly he gave up. As he got older and Merle got curiouser he was hit by the brunt of it all. Merle would drag him to the skankiest bars, trying to force him to give his virginity to the women that didn't care about themselves or him. It was embarrassing everytime he ran from the whore houses, his face flushed bright red and Merle would never let him live it down. Daryl had always had a bubble of anger in his heart, spilling out over anything he ever tried to care for...

Sex and romance had never been important to him. Hell he was useless at it and he preferred to pretend that it didn't exist. He had silently watched people fall apart because of their needs. Take Rick Grimes, Daryl had first hand watched the love of his life Lori screw around and get pregnant with his best friend. He watched them all fight like cat and dog, all of them wanting nothing more than to forget it all. It had been too late. Rick had taken Shane's life to protect what he couldn't hold on to. Although little ass kicker came into the world and Daryl was grateful for that he couldn't help but wonder if Lori and Shane never did what they did, would they have been better off. Safer?

Daryl scowled into the darkness, ignoring the faint smell of Amelia on his skin and thought back to her. Whenever she would look at him she really saw into him, she was aware of his faults and his good parts but she never put her opinion on him or forced more out of him. Amelia took him as he was and got on with it. Unlike the others, including Carol and Dale who had forced him to be apart of the group Amelia just accepted his differences. He knew deep down it was because she was just like him, broken and uninterested on the emotional dwellings others found so amusing.

His mind slowly began taking a detour, to the memory of when she fell in the shower and his hands had caught her, cupping her bare skin and pulling her into him. Normally he wouldn't of cared but he had spun around quickly without a thought. He remembered the way the water ran down the curve of her back, the pale flesh of her bottom in the dim room. He felt his cheeks blaze at the sudden thoughts of her. Daryl had never seen a woman naked, up close before. It was all he could do to stop thinking about her in that way, he always felt bad for indulging himself. There was better things to think of, more important he would tell himself but he would always come back to her.

He began to think about the way her mouth would taste, would she be accepting to his beginner kisses or would she push him away with disgust? And then he thought about the way her body would feel against his. He'd done it now, arousing himself to the point of desperation. The burning in his face only got hotter as he tried to blink away his embarrassment. Daryl had been aroused before but this was different, it was no longer innocent and he was fully aware of himself.

The thoughts in his confused head turned onto a deeper, naughtier path. He began to create scenarios of what would happened if he waltzed into her cell and took her there. No explaining or talking just doing what his body and mind wanted. In this scenario she would happily oblige him, ignoring his virgin fumbles and excitement to take off her clothes.

"Shit!" he breathed, forcing himself to open his eyes. Not to think about it anymore.

–

"Carl can you just sit down for a second. I need to eat my breakfast without you making me feel like I'm on a roller coaster"Amelia chided the excited young boy.

"Okay, sorry" he answered quickly before parking his bum on the opposite seat. Hershel quickly joining him "They finally layed eggs Amelia, the chickens, it means we can live off them for a while!" he grinned happily, pushing an egg into her face.

Amelia smiled a little at Hershel "You guys did good! Carol and Beth will be happy" she said, taking the egg from Carl and feeling it's weight. It was amazing to see something so simple again. This one egg that lay in the palm of her hand was the symbol of change for the prison group. It was a small source of food that they wouldn't have to hunt for. If they could expand on it everything would be a little easier.

"If my predictions are right we have another two years out of those chickens" Hershel grinned down at an ecstatic Carl "This is if we fatten them up again and get ready to breed them"

"Oh cool!" Carl whooped. "I gotta tell Beth. She'll be so pleased" and before they could say anything to stop him he darted off to find the young girl he liked to spend a lot of his down time with.

"He gets excited easily" Amelia noted out loud.

Hershel stroked his silver wispy beard a little before answering "It's nice to see. Before you arrived he was heading down a dangerous path"

Amelia put her spoon down suddenly curious as to what Hershel could possibly mean. From what she had seen Carl was handing the state of the world pretty damn well for a young boy. He was striving to be the ultimate protector.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

Hershel's eye's darted around the room to make sure any open ears weren't the wrong sort of ears before answering her "He killed a young boy, out in the woods here without a second thought to him or where he had come from"

The gut wrenching pain Amelia always felt when she knew something bad was going to happen hit her at full force "He must of felt pressured" she argued.

"I was there. He was doing it to prove his father wrong"

Amelia was suddenly made aware of the reoccurring pattern. Whenever someone suppresses Carl he would lash out, dangerously, not understanding the barriers or an old society because he hadn't lived in it long enough. Worried she asked "Is he going to be okay, learning the things I know?"

Hershel shook his head dramatically, like she had got him all wrong "Oh I wasn't suggesting you were doing wrong. That boy needs discipline and you're giving it him. As long as you make him understand"

Amelia nodded her head only feeling at ease a little bit "I'll make sure he understands the difference but Hershel this world isn't the same. He might have to do things to protect his own that would have been morally wrong"

"I know" he replied sadly "But if we can avoid it then we're still holding the hope. You understand?" Amelia was afraid of understanding the naive man's way of thinking. It was different when you where being ripped apart by walkers or you had a gun to your head by an opposing group, wanting to survive just as much as you.

Hershel was a man of no use, as harsh as that was but he was barely an asset. Only providing his expertise on farming and the occasional accident but what importance was that out on the world that was destroying itself? As the thoughts began to cloud and cluster in her brain Daryl stepped down groggily from his perch, taking the bowl of plain porridge Carol was holding out. He quickly joined them, nodding at them both quickly before eating. Amelia knew that Daryl Dixon was the kind of guy the world needed. He was quick, did what had to be done and didn't think to deep into it. Carl could learn a few things from him.

"Did you hear Daryl? Those chickens you found are laying eggs. Hershel here said we'll have them for two years" Amelia said warily, trying to test his mood.

Daryl looked up, straight into her eyes before looking back down to his breakfast.

"Good cause we don't have food to waste of fattening em' up for nothin'"

"Oh so optimistic this morning I see" she grinned at Hershel hoping he wouldn't take Daryl's comments to personally. Daryl looked tired, like he hadn't gotten a full nights sleep in days and Amelia felt guilt for waking him. Shrugging his shoulders he quickly pushed the last bits of his breakfast into his mouth.

"I gotta go" he mumbled through the food. Amelia grimaced and stood up with him, hoping to get started on the generator so they could have hot water. Amelia was the only one with the skills and thin fingers to work to part.

"Yeah me too. I'll be fixing the generator if you need me" she said passively,

"Why would I need you?" he blustered.

Amelia raised an eyebrow at his attitude "I was just saying incase Rick wanted me to keep watch..." and she shook her head at his weird behaviour before skulking off to find the generator room.


	25. Chapter 25

Please read- I would of published two today but received no reviews so I'm not sure whether you guys are like this but oh well, enjoy this next one. I loved writing it.

It took him thirty years just to find one girl

_Oh if you could see me now..._

The tinkering seemed endless as Amelia sat on the cold floor of the generator room. It must have been hours since she first started on the project. It all seemed tedious as she blew off cobwebs on a machine that looked like it had seen better days. As hard and frustrating as it got Amelia still pushed on, people depended on her and this would be the icing on the cake. Imagine hot water.

It would take a few more days to get it working. It needed cleaning and oiling which would mean another trip into walker territory and nobody wanted to be pushed back into that. Sighing and pushing herself away from the most irritating thing to her in the world she sat there and really took her surroundings in. Her life would have been different if the government wouldn't of intercepted her, she could have been in the building when the world went to shit. Probably would of died in there. Shaking her head she got up and dusted herself off. It was time to get some sun on her skin and some fresh air in her lungs.

By the time she had gotten out the prison the sun was just setting but just the feeling of freedom from her previous surroundings she felt better. Daryl, Rick, Tyreese and Glenn where all helping clear the traps and Beth, Hershel, Carl and Maggie all sat around exhausted as Carol preened her little garden. Amelia walked over to Carol and without asking began to lazily help her with her little patch of crops.

"Did you get it fixed?" Carol asked, brushing down her jeans.

Amelia groaned "No. It'll take me a few days and I need to get some oil. It's not broken which is good but it needs some maintenance"

Carol reached out a friendly hand and patted her arm "There is no need to get stressed. You're doing your best. It's all we ask for" and she grinned.

Amelia smiled back, not quite feeling up to it "Hows things with them?" she asked, looking in Daryl's direction.

Carol looked down at her little budding crops and back up, studying Amelia's expression for a minute "There wasn't many today. Daryl's been in an awful mood. He's taking on too much"

Amelia was intrigued at the fondness in her voice but decided to ignore it, for her head and hearts sake "He seemed okay this morning"

"He's abit like a woman. His mood swings are unpredictable" she sighed "He's still having a hard time after his brothers death"

"Ah I can only imagine. Were they close then?" she asked as she pulled out a little weed that was just ready to bloom.

Carol looked up at Daryl then, her eye's glistening under the suns beams "In a way yes. They had a very complex relationship. Merle cared for Daryl a little-"

"Merle?" she rushed, her heart tightening and her breathing whooshing out of her.

Carol's left eye twitched as she asked "Yes, Merle Dixon"

"Oh fuck" Amelia hissed, pushing up off her knees as her body began to shake.

"Amelia what is it?" Carol asked, trying to reach for her.

It was over. The dream, the time, the affection, the forgiveness, the trying. It was fucking over. Amelia pushed her back, sending her flying into the mud and she reached down for her knife.

"Amelia!" Maggie screamed, disgusted at her actions but Amelia was no longer Amelia. She had been replaced with a cunning, quick monster that sought vengeance. All her ties where quickly being severed as she made her way to the one man that could make her pain stop. As she rushed towards them, only seeing him in her tunnel vision images of her squad flashed in her minds. Their laughter, their struggle as death began to rip their souls, the blood and snarls as they tried to take her with them. Burying them, sobbing into their graves as she struggled to come to terms with being left on hell without them.

"Daaaaaaaaaaad!" Carl screamed behind her, as some sort of warning for his father to see what was coming.

Amelia was nearly before them, pushing her body to go harder and they turned to find her running at them, knife in hand. Rick held up his gun, sensing the change in her but not quite certain on whether pulling the trigger was right. Rick was trying to work out whether she had changed, Carl would never scream like that over his new friend.

Amelia pushed into them, her body connected with Ricks and he fell with a quick thud. Amelia kicked out at Tyreese and he fell on his side, winding himself on the weapon in his strap. Daryl was already backing up, uncertain as he pointed his bow at her. To him she looked crazed now, crazier than when he had seen her out in the woods. She was full of rage and it was all coming at him. He watched as she began to twist her knife in her wrist

"What're you doing?" he hissed as he watched Rick splutter up blood.

"I'm getting my revenge" she growled, titling her head, pushing on to get up close.

"What for?"

"Your brother is Merle Dixon. Merle Dixon was the man who killed my men" and Daryl's knees almost buckled from underneath him. It must have been some mistake, Merle wouldn't have done that. Not on his own. However it all made sense, when Amelia had told him about losing her friends and the mention of woodbury he knew something was off. He just didn't want to believe that Merle was taking things away from him, beyond the grave.

"No-no" he breathed, his eye's watering at the corners as he tried to reason with her.

"An eye for an eye" she growled and raised her hand. Amelia felt nothing for the man begging with her eyes to really see him and only him.

"I'm not Merle. You don't gotta' do this Amelia. I ain't like him"

"You're blood!" she hissed and began to swing out when a cold barrel touched the back of her neck, sending her to an abrupt standstill. It was Rick, she could tell by the amount of pressure he was placing on her neck. It didn't matter either way what was going to happen, even if he killed her it would make things better. The sounds behind her where blurring together, she could distinctly make out the cries of the people she had grown so close with in the past couple of weeks.

Daryl's eye's never left Amelia's but hers could not look at him, nor focus on him for all she knew he was there and that was enough. Amelia wouldn't let her heart connect with her brain now.

"I think you need to calm down now" Rick growled from behind her.

"Keep out of this. As soon as I kill him you can do what you want with me"

"I can't let that happen"

"That's unfortunate" and she pulled up her knife again and Daryl took a step closer to her, pleadingly trying to make her see it didn't have to end like this.

"Amelia don't do this" Came the little pleading voice behind her. Amelia could just make out his expression now but he would understand, she had to, for her family. "Daryl's family. It was his brother. His brother was a bad person"

"The apple never falls from the tree kid" she snapped back, calculating how easy it would be to take away Rick's weapon. Ways of killing Daryl where spinning around in her mind, she was trying to find the most satisfying but quick way.

"Listen to him Amelia. It wasn't Daryl that did that to your men it was Merle. Daryl chose us, not his brother. That shows enough about him" Rick led, clutching at straws. "Think about this. You can come back. You're apart of this group Amelia. Don't push us out now"

And Daryl took a step closer, trying to reach her eyes but her anger wouldn't slip and It wouldn't just shake off her back. It was real and it was burning.

"I trusted you" she hissed, her legs beginning to feel weak once the words came out.

"Amelia..." he breathed reaching for her hand but she pounced, pushing him down and forcefully pressing her knife to his neck. He tried desperately to fight her off but she was quicker "Stop" he wheezed, feeling a small cut begin to open.

"NO!" Rick boomed, firing his gun only for the bullet to whiz past her ear and plummet into the ground next to them. It was like the sound had awoken her from a terrible dream. As her eye's widened at the man below her and the people around her she felt herself get up, off him, dropping her knife at her side. As she turned, her brain working on a way to get out of the situation she saw all of their faces. Terror...clear as the sun had been. Everything was breaking in front and around her and she couldn't hold on in fear that she was fighting the wrong fight.

Carl's face was the one she was drawn too, it burned instantly into her memory. He had looked at her with terror, sadness and pity but most importantly with a love that was willing to forget and forgive, something she didn't deserve. Turning quickly she ran from the painful sight, not caring if Rick shot her in the back. Death would be easier than facing what she had. Death was welcome now.

–

He pushed up off his feet ignoring the blood that was dripping down his collar bones, ready to go after her when Rick stopped him.

"Leave her" he commanded, his eye's dark.

"No" and he tried to push back but Rick circled him and got into his face "You're the last person she needs right now Daryl. If you go out there you're signing your death warrant. I need you here. I'll go"

"This is my mess Rick. Let her kill me, hurt me, whatever! I gotta' tell her" he growled, his eye's turning light blue with young feeble desperation.

"I can't have that. I cant let your brother fuck more things up for you. Trust me. I'll sort this" and from the look in Rick's eyes Daryl knew he couldn't. The damage was already done. This is what happened whenever Daryl let him self open to car for someone. It was like fate liked to mess with him.

"Sorry Rick but I gotta" and he forced past him, throwing Carol a quick look before darting in the woods after her, leaving his bow behind. The last thing he would want is to go in on the defensive with a girl like her. Amelia could rip him to shreds with her fingers and he was hoping that wouldn't happen.

As his weak body from the emotional drainage he had suffered focused on tracking her foot prints his brain began to kick into action. He would make her see, he would have too, he couldn't let her go now. He had already lost so much. His fucked up brother wasn't taking this.

He stumbled upon her then, sat on her knees sobbing into her hands. Defenceless and weapon less and the most weak he had seen her since he met her. It was at that moment he wanted to grab her, bring her body into him but he knew he shouldn't. Daryl was aware they where surrounded by danger and both weaponless, he knew he had to be the one aware.

"Amelia..." he whispered, it caught in the wind and brushed past her hair. Her sobs stopped for a second until she quickly turned around and jumped to her feet, backing up. "Just wait a damn minute!"

"Fuck off Daryl. Don't make me do this" she screamed, throwing out her hands at him. "Just go back. I can't hold on much longer"

"You can. You gotta listen to me now. Listen!" he growled, pushing himself into her vicinity. Ignoring all the signs to stay away "It wasn't me. I would never have done that. I am not like him!" and he roughly grabbed at her arms, his finger prints laying into her pale skin. "I ain't like him!" he repeated, shaking her, trying to see some sense into her.

"It-it hurts so much" she stuttered, her legs buckling "It won't stop. I keep seeing them, hearing his voice. I'm losing it all, again. I'm losing" and she was gasping for air, silently begging for her mind to stop torturing her. His hands pulled her into him, taking her weight as she fell.

"No you can do this. I got you"

"You don't. It's all ruined. You're ruined" she whispered, falling into his chest, her tears touching the soft fabric of his worn shirt.

It stung him as he tried to hold her weight, trying not to slip on the damn grown beneath his feet. He suddenly didn't feel so strong is trying to make her understand. It hurt to know she was giving up on him. They fell then, onto the ground and he groaned as his back hit the tree next to them.

"I'm not-" he began.

"Kill me Daryl. Please. Just make it stop!" she hissed, bring his hands to her throat. Violent and slow. He tried to pull away, disgusted at the idea and worried that this strong person was begging for the easy way out.

"NO!" He yelled "No! Stop it" he spat, pulling his hands and trying to pull her into him but she refused, bashing his chest, pushing him away, scratching him for freedom.

"You owe me this" and she finally looked at him, her fighting coming to a stop. Her beautiful face dirty with tears "You either kill me or I'll push myself into a group of walkers. If you don't I could do something we all regret"

If he had the chance he would of vomited right there and then from the idea but he pushed it down. His mind was going frantic. Daryl had never understood the complexity of a woman's brain before but he knew right in front of him was suffering and he knew he had to do something drastic before it was too late.

As he looked into her eyes he knew already he had come to far, let himself care and if he was going to continue he would have to do it right. He lifted his hand to push her messy hair away and began to lean in, watch her reaction with an erratic heart beat in his chest. He could see her eye's dart from his to his mouth and knew she was catching on. He only hoped it could be enough. As he closed the gap, pushing his inexperienced mouth on hers he pushed in a little more. Refusing, not wanting her to go, to give up. He would fight for her, fight for her life even if she didn't want to because unlike Merle he had the chance.

Daryl felt her lips push back, her tears still wetting his face as they explored eachothers mouths. In her grief she was pulling herself onto him, needing forgiveness and a reason not to hurt him. Amelia didn't want to be alone.


	26. Chapter 26

Please read- Ya'll better love me for this! I wrote it up yesterday but my computer had a malfunction and deleted it. I nearly cried, that's how serious it got. Right back to business, thank you to everyone that left a comment and that is reading this story! I love you all. If you review you get chapters. Lets do this!

Let me Govern your body.

The pain hit quick as his lips slowed against hers. It was all she could do not to let her body give in, to finally put her heart in someone's hand. The worst thing for her would be a broken heart, more broken than she was now. As Daryl slowly tried to pass his calm onto her, trying to warm up to her touch she began to think about why she was in the current intimate situation. It stung, hard. The pain irritated the born killer in her, the power sprung up through her chest and slid down her arms. As her hands where still entwined in his hair it took all of her energy to stop the twitches of destruction her fingers where working up to.

"You-have-to-g0" she breathed inbetween his lusty forceful kisses.

"No" he growled and slammed her back onto his lips. He was rough now, reinforcing his power as a man in the situation. He figured somewhere in his bizarre logic that this was what she needed.

It was all becoming too much for Amelia as she tried to fight the lust and anger that was merging, entwining with one another causing an explosive sure of emotion within her body. Amelia would never forgive and forget. It wasn't programmed into her mentality. What could she do when her brain and heart where dragging her, pulling her through the mental mud that felt as if it was strangling her whole being. There where no words. The only time her heart began to get a lead was when he would groan softly onto her mouth or his hands would slip to the curves of her body as they sat there on the ground, surrounded.

All she had known was returning with a force that could not be measured. The sadistic trained killer began to return and the love and affection she had learned to feel was dissolving before her. Daryl wouldn't let her go that easily, he was there, forcing his way in, threatening to break himself so that he would have a winning chance on not losing something. This woman was changing him and she had to change with him. Amelia had to live, had to survive, so did he. It was survival of the fittest. They were stronger together and he knew that but he had to make her see. _Had too._

The pain of opening himself up was piercing through his heart like a heroin needle but he forced on, kissing her, ignoring her tears that dropped onto his cheeks. He was terrified that if he broke the kiss she would kill him or he would have to kill her. It wasn't a Romeo and Juliet story. It was much more deeper, the connection was made and it was like someone was throwing water on the electrics of it all. How could he watch the past go up in smoke again? Didn't he deserve something?

"Daryl..." and she tried to pull away but he bit her lip, so hard that she began to bled and with a little welp he pushed her back against the tree. The fierce intensity had gotten to him and he was desperate. He had to do something even if he hadn't realised that this was to much, it was pushing every defensive button Amelia had built.

Daryl was never good with words. It wasn't just words, he wasn't good with affection or giving and his inexperience was killing him, literally.

Amelia was trying to focus her breathing, her mind focused on Daryl and what he had meant to her before everything broke down. A memory of him smirking, smiling, pushing her and his comforting eyes when she told him about herself. It all felt like a dream that was fading with the smoke.

She had to pull away, push away, do something to break the fire burning all over her skin. It was unnatural and wrong. As she pushed against his chest behind her, to the left a branch snapped under a boot. Her head twitched to the side but it was too late.

A cold barrel of a gun was being pressed into her temple.

"Now now love birds lets not do anything rash now"

Amelia silently laughed at the irony of this. People really did like pointing guns at her head. Only having Daryl's eye's to see their attacker she knew from his expression that he was shocked and repulsed. As he stumbled from her, trying to find his cross bow that he had left back at the Prison a short guy with dark hair pulled Amelia up on her feet.

Hissing as his long finger nails dug into her skin she watched as a larger man wrestled Daryl down, he was stressed to say the least as he screamed "Fuck you! Get'fuckoff me you son of a bitch" but the man above him held his ground, dragging him back. Putting a distance between him and Amelia.

Amelia was already calculating an escape and it was quickly becoming unlikely. The two guys who where only carrying machetes would have been easy if it wasn't for the man that approached in a long dark coat, an eyepatch covering one of his eyes and a smirk that could of shattered any child's dream. He was dark but weakened. It was his vision impairment and the sports injury on his left leg that she saw first although as he got closer to her she felt his arrogance and knew she was dealing with something dark. His eye's shook with anger and resentment.

"Fucking sissy bitch working for the Governor" Daryl hissed, still trying to get free.

"Now now Daryl is that anyway to speak to an old friend of your brothers?" he grinned maliciously as he stood above them all "Especially infront of such a beautiful lady" and Amelia watched as he put his hand on her cheek. This was the exact moment she knew he was trying to work her out, he was trying to see a weakness in her that he could use. Her only way of survival now was to play a game, a game that not everyone would win. Training and determination was all she knew.

Amelia flinched away, the look of terror on her eyes. Brilliant.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Daryl growled, getting a step closer before the guy holding him pulled him back.

"Tie them" The Governor ordered and before Amelia could catch her breath she was pulled down. Her face pushed into the dirty leaves.

"Get off of me! You're hurting me" she cried, her voice full of innocence and pain.

"Stay still" The Latino guy that was holding her ordered harshly, his dark eye's focusing on the back of her head.

"Please don't hurt me. Please" she cried, fresh tears returning to her sore eyes.

"Martinez isn't going to hurt you young lady. Well not just yet" The Governor laughed as he walked over to Daryl who was physically squirming under the pressure of the guy kneeling on his back.

Amelia was turned to face Daryl now, her heart actually beating erratically as the Governor delivered a swift kick into his ribs.

Amelia knew who this guy was, she knew he was the brains behind her friends murders and she was very aware of what mother fate was trying to teach her now. Protection and survival but most importantly vengeance. Amelia couldn't give the game away now, she had to push on. If she couldn't skin Merle alive she would have the next best thing.

"Please don't hurt him! Please! He hasn't done anything to you" she cried, thrashing against her binds.

"Oh he's done plenty to me!" and the Governor rounded on her, he rushed to her, grabbing her by the throat as he lifted her close to his face. Amelia winced as she saw all of the stubble on his face and the dried blood covering his skin. He lifted his eye patch and she almost vomited. It had barely healed, the wound looked infected, worse it looked like walker flesh. "Him and his friend Rick took what was mine. You are going to help me get it back" and he popped the patch down before letting her go.

As she fell into Martinez, the guy holding her, she looked to find Daryl who was clearing struggling to breathe and tried to keep her cool. It had gotten a lot serious. A vendetta and vengeance coming from a guy who was mentally unstable had forced Amelia to realise she was most probably not coming out of this alive. Weapon less, she had nothing to fight with.

Martinez and Shumpert where ordered to knock them out and put them into the car. Amelia focused her attention on Daryl as they did it, silently hoping they would make it through this but most importantly she would make it through to do what she should of done a long time ago.

Amelia smiled as the darkness hit.

–

The circle back at the camp began to get intense as they all argued on who should go out and try and find Daryl and Amelia. Everyone but Rick thought it was a good idea to go, Rick knew that both of them could hold their own out there but he was still worried and he was aware of how open they all where now.

"Someone has to go find them! We can just stand around talking about this" Carol hissed, bouncing baby Judith on her hip. Baby Judith happily bounced along, not a care or thought to what was happening around her. It was sad but she had been born into the world where tough decisions had to be made hourly.

"And make us weak? Daryl knew what he was doing. They both do" Rick argued and Glenn nodded in approval.

"They could be hurt! They have no weapons Rick" she spat back, not ready to give up the fight for Daryl.

"Daryl and Amelia are strong. If they're not back by morning I'll go out there myself and Glenn can run this place. It's getting dark Carol. We don't stand a chance" he took a step to her, hoping she would understand his reasoning. Of course he was worried about them both but he had to protect the prison.

"Do you even care!?" she hissed, pushing the baby into an unexpectant Beth's arms. That was it for Rick, every turn he went this woman was doubting him, pushing his buttons and demanding more when she didn't contribute to half as much as he had.

"Of course I care! Do you!? You're the one who started this mess Carol. You couldn't keep your mouth shut. You pushed them out of this camp Carol. That is on you!" he snarled before pushing past her. It was all he could take for now. He knew that Glenn and Tyreese would begin to pick up the pieces he had just shattered but he wanted Carol to see this. He wanted her to know how hard it was for me. To make a call, a call that might not always be right.

–

Amelia was rigid when she woke up, checking her body for anything that may be injured but from what she could tell she was fine. A numbing pain at the back of her head told her that she had been out for some time when she came to. A dark room that was slowly smothering her with heat came into view. Nothing but an old rickety chair and a desk in one corner littered the room. It was old and dirty but made of tin. The unusual building almost looked make shift. Her eye's desperately began to dart around the room trying to find the one she need reassurance from but he wasn't there.

Wriggling her arms she heard the clang of metal on metal but the cuffs weren't the ones she had expected. No these where newer, a new generation model that wasn't as popular. She groaned and fell back into the old pipe line.

"Fuck" she breathed. What was she supposed to do now?

Just as she began to lose all hope the door cracked open a little, she flinched, hoping it was Daryl. Pleading with whoever was up there, in the sky, had let him escape. No such luck. Martinez, her capturer came into the room, a light air of arrogance surrounding him.

"The Governor will be in to see you soon" he sneered, looking down at her.

"Oh thank you maid! How kind of you to come tell me" she hissed back, wriggling.

"Got yourself a smart mouth. He don't like that" and he sat down on the desk next to her, ignoring her wriggling. It must have been common for him to see people tied up and she felt anger burn within her again. He was one of those people.

"I ain't scared of him" she hissed back, giving up and crossing her legs "Hell I aint' scared of any of you. This isn't my fight you dragged me in"

"If you're rolling with Rick's crew then you're involved" and he pulled out a tooth pick from his coat pocket and popped it into his mouth. "Plus you looked hella- scared out there to me"

Amelia heard the nonchalantly tone and knew this guy wasn't along for the ride, no, he was trying to survive and was sticking with the governor for only that.

"Did I? Brilliant"

"You gotta death wish or something? Or are you just stupid? He's going to torture you for information, he's doing it to your boyfriend now!" he hissed, incredulous that she wasn't seeing the situation for what it really was.

Amelia shrugged even though deep down her stomach was painfully cramping at the thought of Daryl undergoing more torture. He was strong though, she knew that.

"Oh wonderful. You told me what was on today's rota and I didn't even have to charm it out of you" she grinned wickedly, smug with herself.

He blanched and blinked down at her. "Who are you?" he breathed.

Looking at him darkly, she smiled again, showing off her pearly whites "I'm nobody" and she could already hear another set of footsteps coming towards the door. Amelia sat up right, breathing low and keeping her eyes on the door.

Shumpert, a vile looking guy with a squashed pigs nose bolted through the door, his t-shirt smeared with blood. Amelia felt her face faltering slightly and used up her last bit of resolve to hide it.

"He wants her now" and as soon as the words came out he left, without as much as a glance at her.

Martinez slowly made his way to her, trying to find her eyes but she was focused, turning off her brain for what was about to happen. Amelia would die happy knowing she wouldn't give this psychopath anything. Amelia would protect that little boy and girl back at the prison with everything she had in her. It was the only thing worth fighting for now. Amelia had changed being with the prison camp and this was proving it. She had to reassure herself that what she felt back there was real or life was going to win.

As she was pushed through two dark corridors she began to make peace with everything that had happened in her life. It was a quick process but she was satisfied enough to turn the lights off in her house. This is what the training had prepared her for and she was ready, accepting, she would not show any mercy or pain.

Amelia fell into the next room, almost blinded by a long hanging light in the middle but she pushed through her temporary blindness and found Daryl. He was gagged, tied to a chair and bloodied. There where slits in his chest and all down his arms, he was sweating trying to hold in the pain. He was wriggling to try and get close to her as Martinez pushed her down onto a metal table.

As soon as her skin hit the table she was forcefully tied down. Her chest, stomach and feet where bolted to the ice cold table with straps of leather. The Governor dropped from out of the shadows and slowly made his way over to her, wielding a shiny knife covered in Daryl's blood. Amelia didn't wince but she wanted too.

"Are you going to be a little helpful today Amelia?" He asked and Amelia controlled the urge to kick out as he mentioned her name. Daryl must of slipped. Amelia suddenly felt a sadness towards the man currently bleeding all over the place, he was struggling to maintain and she couldn't protect him. "You see Daryl would only tell me your name but I need to know more. I don't have a lot of time and if you do I'll make it worth your while"

"Go to hell!" she spat, turning her head from him and ignoring the bright beam above her.

"I'll think you'll find we're all in hell" he laughed as he sharply pressed the knife to her forearm, dragging it against the delicate skin. Arching her back in the slightest she resisted the pain and bit into her lip. Ignoring his stare.

Martinez from her right side was refusing to look at her, his right fist shaking visibly from her side. It was all she needed to see.

The Governor enraged by her lack of screaming pulled up her shirt, high enough to show the bottom of her bra. Daryl behind her began to scream through his gag, angry slurrs of hateful threats but the Governor only smirked.

"How many of you are there?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat the question? I was away with the fairies for a little while there" she breathed, her tone equal.

He pressed then, into the underlining of her bra and brought the sharp blade across the skin. Opening her up. Amelia resisted the urge to scream as the sting sharpened. No satisfaction. Hold that memory. Calm your mind.

"I am not to be played with" he snarled pressing the knife in deeper. Her eyes squinted up into the light but she refused him, pushed his pain out. "How many of you are there!?" he screamed into her face, spittle touching the ends of her hair.

"Say it don't spray it mister!" she joked only for the knife to be pressed across her ribs, her weakest spot from the injuries she sustained trying to save Carl. A whimper fell from her mouth as he dug in, turning the blade. Her breath went but her resolve didn't, it wasn't deep enough to kill her.

"I'll slit your throat bitch. Tell me how many?"

"76!" she suddenly yelled, as if she had just had an epiphany. "76 fucks I don't seem to give right now" and she began to laugh, hysterically ignoring the loud groan from Daryl.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now!?" Shumpert interjected "She's off her head. There isn't about thirty in that camp. Our best best is to drag these sons of bitches down there. We'll get a better look then" and he leaned in, snarling at her as the blood trickled down her body.

"Fucking hell where did they find you Einstein?" she cackled viciously only to have a blow delivered to her torn rib cage. Wheezing she still laughed, showing the Governor that she would go down with a fight

He scanned her, pressing his knife to the hollow part her neck and he slowly, watching her eyes began to drag it across the thin piece of skin.

Daryl from behind eye's widened with shock as he tried to wriggle from his binds, his screams through the dusty rag becoming horse. He was going to take her away from him, in front of her and he was helpless. The knife went in harder and Amelia arched her back, a light airy sound falling from her lips.

"Boss wait! We can use her!" Martinez interrupted.


	27. Chapter 27

Please read- Thank you so much for your reviews! You really help me to push on through this story. I really appreciate you all. It's crazy how many people are reading this! I hope you enjoy this next chapter and please tell me what you think!

Let this be the death of you.

Daryl and Amelia hadn't been privy to the Governors and his men's conversation when Martinez pulled them out of the room. Amelia took this opportunity to painfully arch her back so she could look at Daryl. He was bleeding but nothing to serious, all flesh wounds but the sweat dripping from his was near dehydration. He was still gagged as his eye's nervously scanned as much of her as he could see, wincing when he saw her throat.

"You okay?" she breathed, keeping her voice low incase someone outside heard. He growled frustratedly signalling for her to stop wearing the pants in the situation "I take that as a yes. Look Daryl you gotta' go with me on this. They're taking us back to the prison" she paused, hearing the voices outside stop briefly "We stand a better chance if we're alive when they do. Rick will have your back" and she layed flat, looking at the low ceiling of the room, trying to ignore the stinging of her ribs. The wounds weren't to bad, she could handle it for now but she was fully aware that the Governor was coming back.

Amelia heard a scuffle and an angry groan behind her, Daryl was freeing himself from his gag "Fuck" he coughed, his mouth dry from the dusty fabric "How bad are you?" he demanded.

"Sh!" she hissed, not looking at him "I'll live. He won't break me don't worry" she hissed nastily.

"You don't have to do this. This isn't your fight. Don't-just-Amelia give him what he wants just fuck sakes don't make this worse" he groaned.

"I know what the fuck I'm doing so shut the fuck up" she snapped.

Amelia had been too loud and she knew there time was up when the Governor burst in the room, his eye's casting vicious glances over Amelia's half naked body. He was angry, even more than he had been earlier and he certainly wasn't done. He took to her side and grabbed her hair, pulling it to his face.

I will ask this once. If you do not answer me truthfully I will slit your throat and let your boyfriend here watch. Understood?" and he gripped tighter, his hot breath on her face.

Amelia nodded quickly, her eye's darting to his and back to Martinez behind him. She had to make that connection with Martinez for this to work. Vulnerability.

"Is Michonne still in Ricks camp?"

Amelia exhaled "Yes" she breathed, her eye's feigning innocence.

The look of greed and anger burst through the Governors dark eyes as he dramatically let go of her, her head hitting the cold table with a thud. Wincing and forcing back a groan she knew she had made the right call. The only problem was that this 'Michonne' wasn't back at the prison and she would sure as hell be in trouble if Rick wasn't prepared.

"Very good. You're learning" he began to twirl his knife above her face, not a care in the world for if it lost balance. Amelia refused to flinch away or turn her face. He would not get the better of her. Having dealt with more intimidating men she would not let her new vulnerability threaten her. If she kept the attention on herself then they wouldn't hurt Daryl and she knew Rick's best bet was Daryl.

"We're going to pay your camp a little visit soon. You're going to be a good girl and you're going to take me to Michonne" he whispered as he ducked his head and placed the sharp side of the blade under her belly button. He began to slowly score her skin, devouring the pain in her eyes as she nodded, the only thing she could do without the obscenities and threats of her own pouring out of her mouth.

"I swear to god as soon as I get the chance I'm going to fucking gut you!" Daryl yelled, pushing against his binds and spitting close to the ground the Governor was standing on. He barely noted Daryl, too busy caught up in the woman who was refusing to give in to his painful tactics. He was too enraged by this woman Michonne to note her adversity and strength but determination. Amelia knew that feeling of ignorance, she had ignored some of the most important people in her life trying to avenge those she had lost last year.

A last swipe of his knife, up the length of her torso was the last of his torment but most definitely the worse. It burned as the blood began to seep out of her skin and drip down her sides. It was okay though, she was okay, she was handling it.

–

Even in the darkness of the corner he sat in he could see as the three men left the room that Amelia was in bad shape. There was blood dripping from the sides of the table now and her skin was getting even paler, under the full beam of the light in the room he could see the sweat on her head. He was trying to edge her chair to him when she arched her back and twisted so she could look at him.

"Do you think Rick will see this coming?" she asked, biting her lip from what he believed was pain and not frustration.

"He better. You bad? You going to be able to walk?" he breathed, trying to slip his right hand free.

"I don't know" and that's when he saw her weak, she was in a lot worse shape than what she had been letting on and he wanted to scream. He was angry that she had taken the torture and not him, because she had made herself innocent to the Governor and the most likely to give information away. He wanted to scream at her. She wasn't the strongest of them both. Fuck her background, fuck her screwed up personality. He should be the strongest for the both of them.

"You gotta be okay" he hissed. "Rick will have our back. You just have to stick around, if not for me do it for Carl" he ground out, feeling his ego wound because he knew that she wasn't doing this for him.

"I'm fine" she lied. "You still got my back?" she asked lightly, looking him in the eye then. Not quite being able to forgive him but signalling that she was working towards it.

"Yes. I always got it" and he nodded abruptly.

–

The darkness enveloped them as they where roughly shoved back into the vehicle from earlier. If it wasn't from the blood still pouring from Amelia's wounds Daryl would have given into his internal fight. He couldn't die, wouldn't die knowing he hadn't done anything to protect her. In the woods earlier that day he had made a silence promise to her that he would hold her heart and not squash it. He knew there was no words to describe what he was feeling but he knew it was important.

Silently he began begging for an unknown power above him to have his back for once. He wanted this one last thing before his life came to an abrupt end, it was all he had ever asked for of the fucked up world.

"We're off to see your friends sweetie" Shumpert sneered, most probably into Amelia's ear "Try not to bleed out before we get there"

"I'll try my hardest!" she snarled back, pushing her elbow into Daryl's sore ribs to check he was the one next to her. Pushing back he wished he could use his hands to touch her but he settled on having her elbow painfully pushing into his side the whole journey. Any reassurance was good assurance.

It was becoming increasingly unnerving that nobody spoke the rest of the journey. Daryl had expected more snarls and threats from the Governor but all he could hear was the slow breathing of Amelia at his side. This was real bad, the situation was getting heavier with every mile they drove. His stress began to switch from Amelia to little ass kicker and Carl. He knew that the prison could handle these three buffoons but what if they didn't...what if Judith got shot? Or worse bitten.

He ground his jaw in intense mental pain as the vision sprang before his eyes. He was already involved in his emotional side and he felt weaker and weaker every time he realised it.

–

Darkness began to fade in as Rick walked the camps grounds, looking out for Daryl and Amelia. He had become increasingly worried as another hour had faded on by, he knew that something bad had happened but he was in no situation of doing anything about it. If he was to leave now not only would he leave Carl and Judith vulnerable he would leave the came in the same position.

Daryl wouldn't want him to do it. He knew it but it didn't make it any easier. As he leaned against the metal fence, ignoring the snarling Walker heading towards him he took in a deep breath. Refusing to give into the same old feeling of regret and guilt he had been carrying around with him since waking up in the hospital. He needed some advice, he needed his voice of reason back.

"You're okay Rick. They're coming back" and he looked over to his shoulder to find her, Lori, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. Stood there in a beautiful white dress she smiled blazingly at him, she was just as happy to see him as she was on their wedding day. "Hold on my love. You need to put your trust in the good and go with your feeling"

"It's hard..." he breathed, wanting to reach out for her but knowing it was too good to be true.

"I know but you're doing so good Rick" and he looked to find that smile across her face, still there after all the things he had done to her.

"I'm so sorry Lori" and he stepped towards her, ready to touch her when she began to fade from his memory and view. His knees almost buckled from under him when the wave off loss hit him but he fell onto the fence, ignoring the walker shoving it's rotting fingers through the gaps to claw at him. As he caught his breath he tried to picture Carl and Judiths face; his reason to fight on, to get up and keeping surviving.

As he regained his composure he eye'd the freak before him angrily, he would not give up, he would not succumb to any more of this world. He owed that to Lori who had died trying to save both Rick and the world.

He placed a led pole through the gap and pushed it through the mouth of the walker and without a blink he twisted it, watching it fall to the ground with a loud thud. Turning to head back to the heart of the camp he almost had to double back when he saw a large white van racing down the drive of the prison, straight towards the gate he was near.

"Glenn!" he shouted, rushing, grabbing the gun at his belt and standing there. Like the day he had been shot, ready and unafraid.

The prison members had all seen what was happening, much before he had and began their rushed preparations. Maggie, Glenn, Sasha, Beth and Carol where all in protective gear, wielding their weapons while Tyreese, Carl, Glenn and Rick took the front, ready to protect there own.

Judith was strapped to the back of Carol, completely vulnerable and unaware of what was about to happen.

As the Vehicle approached Rick could not believe what he saw, he was so taken back with the sight that the Governor. How could he have been so caught up in recent events to forget about the man that had tried to destroy everything he needed to build. His naivety once again was proving that he wasn't strong enough to be a leader. As he thought this he saw the look of pure determination in Carl's face. He was trying his hardest to be ready, to protect his little sister and to do what 'he had to do'. Rick's own speeding determination came back.

The van came to a screeching stop just three feet away from the group. Cocky.

–

Amelia felt an unfamiliar feeling of dread overwhelm her system as the vehicle they had been travelling stopped. This was it. Amelia hoped that when her and Daryl was dragged out of the over bearing space she would find Carl. He was her only hope now. Amelia had hoped that Carl was ready for this, she knew he would be the only person to understand where she was going.

"Well well old friend! Isn't it nice to see you?" The Governor sneered loudly as he jumped out of his seat. Amelia was pushed out too by Martinez, he was roughly holding her arms as he forcefully pushed her onto solid ground. Amelia's ears detected gasps and she knew the whole prison was in front of her. It was a relief in a way but if this went wrong she knew it would end them. Amelia knew from the smell of gun powder on her kidnappers that they where seriously packin'

"Let them go now or we'll open fire. I won't ask again" She heard Rick's stern voice round the whole grounds.

"Open fire but you're only putting them at risk!" and he pulled her then, infront of him, her legs slipped but he was quick. As his rough hands yanked at the bag over her head it took her a few seconds to see and it was devastating. Carl Grimes was looking at her like she was already dead, he thought she couldn't come back from this. Amelia's eye's caught Ricks but she refused to give in to his worry. She held her head high as the Governor snaked his hand around her throat.

Daryl was second, giving much more force back to his kidnappers as he was pushed in front of Martinez. This left Shumpert hanging by her back, easily weak if she needed it. Carol gasped when she saw his face but he wasn't looking to her, his eye's where firmly placed on the baby just behind her left shoulder. Amelia knew this man was here for all the right reasons.

"Now. We can do this is in a civilised manner-"

"There is no civilised with you" Glenn sneered, aiming his gun for the Governors head. "Let them go"

"Fuck bargaining with this idiots. Shoot them in the damn head" Daryl sneered, wriggling still in the larger mans hold.

Amelia was too busy focused on Carl now. He had to look back at her. Amelia had taught him something very important the day Carol had asked her for her help and she hoped he still remembered. As soon as his eye's slid away from the Governors and to hers she locked him in.

Mouthing "Focus" his attention was instantly on her but his gun was on the Governor. Very well done she thought before signalling with her eyes what she would want him to do. A code, a very old code could be deciphered through the eyes. It was a very hard thing to learn but Carl had shown a great strength in it but she just hoped he gathered what she was trying to stress now.

"Where's Michonne?" The Governor barked, looking around the group.

"Not here, she left a long time ago" Rick shouted back, his hand tightening around his weapons. Amelia felt the Governors breath whoosh out of his mouth and hit the nape of her neck and she knew now she was ready. As his hands squeezed around her neck she blinked to Carl twice, her eye's then going from left and to right, her feet lifting off the ground.

Carl's knife came flying towards them, it glinted as the moons light shone upon the tip and she wriggled quickly, twisting her tied wrists up as she jumped to catch the blade. Slipping it between her slim fingers she cut her binds. A swift elbow to the groin hit the Governor before he could even blink and she was on him. His monkeys didn't know what to do but Rick was already on it, he opened fire before they could even say 'apocalypse' Martinez fell first, his blood splattering up her back and Shumpert fell, leaving Daryl to dive out of the way.

"Look away Carl!" she demanded as she pulled the Governor up, her strength weakening with every drop of blood she spilled from her open wounds.

The whole grouped watched as she slowly pushed Carl's blade to his throat, her eye's full of wild fire. This was here time now, this was her vengeance and nobody or no moral was going to stop her from enjoying this. His eye's where wide with terror and she knew it had been along time since he had felt that emotion.

"An eye for an eye" she whispered as she dragged the blade up, much like he had on her and placed it below his one good eye "I'll see you in hell" she hissed before pushing the blade into his eye, feeling the wild terror in his scream vibrate up his elbow as he thrashed below her.

Getting up close to his ear, her head titled "You were right when you said we were all in hell but you my friend are going somewhere much worse" she whispered, pulling out the knife from his fading body.

"I always win. I will always find you. So run, run as fast as you can but when I get there know this. I will keep on torturing you, burning you, killing you. This is for my men of regiment 18. Hoorah" she whispered before shoving the blade through his chest, straight into his heart.

A gurgled cry erupted through his chest and out his mouth as he tried to reach out to her, to stop what was finally happening. Instead of stepping back she watched carefully as the light faded out of his eyes. Amelia would put the blade through his head, not caring that she could kill him again when he turned. She just wanted to see the light go out, just like she had her men. It was fair. This was vengeance. This was a world where nothing stayed the same but anger and pain.

From the corner of her eye she could see Martinez, the man that had initially helped her escape the tin shed move. He had only been shot in the neck, he was still alive as he tried to crawl away.

"No second chances" she muttered before yanking out the blade from her first enemies chest and sending it flying, expertly through the air to land in the back of his neck. When she looked back down at the Governor, a man she rarely knew much about she found victory in the final fading on his light. It was like a relief she had never experienced before hit her, making her light headed and whoozy.

Falling back into the mud she looked up at the nights sky, finding all the stars perfectly aligning above her.

"Hoorah Kyle" she whispered before closing her eyes and letting the darkness finally take her.


	28. Chapter 28

Please read- I'm back! Yay. I have a few days off work so I'm going to be getting these out as much as I can. And to those of you who thought it was over! Shame on you haha. Thank you again for all your kind reviews. You make me want to write and get better.

Back at square two.

As he picked her up, his heart beating erratically in his chest he began to feel the real weight of his situation. Amelia was dying and there wasn't much he could do about it. All he did was run, push past the burning sensation in his muscles as he ran with her to the prison. He wouldn't let her go now. No, she had done so much, proven so much for him to just let her fade away. He was screaming into the wind for Hershel to move it, hating the old man for not being quick enough. He pushed past Carol, refusing to look at her, holding a little grudge as he pushed past the first set of doors. As he ran he refused to think about what was happening all he thought about was getting her into the safest place possible for Hershel to do his job.

Rick was by his side the whole pay, checking over her, worriedly pushing his hands through his hair. Carl was there too; trying to rouse her by screaming her name, channelling Daryl's silent grief. Maggie and Glenn were already ready by the time they hit the kitchen, they forced him to put her down on the kitchen table, the family table. As he stepped back he had to swallow the sudden bile that rose to his scratched throat, she was paler than he had ever seen her. Blood soaked every part of her clothing, her long beautiful hair was matted beyond belief along with her dirty knees and blue dry lips.

"Do somethin'" he croaked towards Hershel. The old man pushed past him, rolling his sleeves up and asking for Maggie to take his crutches. He sat down, quickly inspecting her clothes.

"Rick cut her clothes. I need to see what I'm dealing with" and Rick didn't hesitate, he was there for Daryl and there for Amelia as he grabbed his knife and seared into the thin blood soaked material. Hershel pushed the Material away leaving Amelia in her underwear for the whole prison camp to see. Completely vulnerable and exposed.

Daryl kept his eye's on Amelia's face, refusing to look at her wounded body afraid that it would be the last thing he saw of her beautiful skin.

"Oh fuck" Glenn breathed, taking a step back as if what he was seeing had been the worse thing in the world. Maggie silently began to cry into his shoulder, refusing to look at the mess. "Son of a bitch" he continued angrily, his eye's twitching with hatred.

"Stop that!" Carl screeched. "Be strong! She did this for us. Ya'll ain't making this about you" and he pushed past Glenn, to stand by Amelia. He took her cold hand and willed her to stay alive. "You gotta' stay for me Amelia. I need you. You're-you're my friend. Please just stay" he begged, tears dripping down his little face.

"Daryl get here. I need your hands" Hershel demanded, his hands holding the open wound on her chest.

"I-I cant" he stuttered, anger flaring up the back of his neck and his incompetence to help.

"No such thing son. Get your hands in here now!" and Daryl found himself hesitantly touching the soft skin of her flesh, really looking at all of her now. "If I can close this she might stand a chance. Carol you ready?"

Carol was there, refusing to look at Daryl but ready to do anything Hershel needed. They began quickly, trying to stop the bleeding as Hershel stitched her up. Rick was at their sides taking away all of the bloody towels but he couldn't stomach seeing her like that, so weak and so broken. He didn't want to think about why she had done it. He just needed her to open her eyes.

"I've never seen anything like it" Hershel mumbled as he cut one of the stitches.

"What'youmean?" Daryl demanded hotly, ignoring the lump in his throat.

Hershel shook his head "She should be dead by now. The amount of cuts-the way he cut was on purpose. He knew the quickest way to make her bleed-"

"She is gunna' win this. Ya'll don't know nothin'. I saw her, she was fine, she is fine! She just damn tired from taking it all for you selfish son of a bitches" Daryl shouted, violently shaking as he really felt Amelia's bloods coat his hands.

Rick's hand was already on Daryl's back "She took it so I didn't have to" he mumbled knowing Rick would be the only one to hear.

"Daryl she's going to be okay. Look what happened last time, she came right back" Carol tried to soothe but he could hear the condescending tone in her voice. Daryl ignored her and carried on helping Hershel to stitch her back up. They had no blood bank so it meant she would have to fight it on her own. Hershel had already hooked her up to the only IV bag they had but it didn't soothe the wound Daryl currently had.

Everyone waited now once she had been placed back in her cell. Hershel and Daryl where the only ones who sat in her cell. Rick thought it would be best if he kept everyone else busy and disposed of the Governors and his men's body without Daryl. He had done enough.

"Fuck! Why aint' she awake yet?" Daryl grunted as he paced the cell for the sixteenth time since he had been in there.

"She might not ever wake up-"

"You shut your mouth old man before I shut it for ya!" Daryl rounded, reeling for his cross bow. He didn't give a shit about ending this selfish son of a bitches life. He was really feeling it now.

"What happened Daryl?" He ignored Daryl's advances and got to the heart of the topic. Daryl hated that about people, they couldn't just let it be.

Daryl slammed himself to the ground, his bag to the wall and began pulling at the thread on his own bandages. He winced when he remembered the events of the day and how powerless he felt. It reminded him of being a kid when his father would torture him and he had no means of fighting back. Powerless and afraid.

"She worked him. Took all the attention on herself. Damn it, she was protecting Carl, you, the group and even me. After everything, Merle, Carol, the way I treated her..."

Hershel nodded solemnly "She was trained in that sort of thing-"

"Not for a fucking beatin' off a man!" he snapped.

"No maybe not but she knew about how to deal with this people. Amelia is smart Daryl, she wouldn't of risked you. That meant risking us" and he began his routine of taking her pulse and temperature. Using an old clock they had found in the infirmary. Hershel's words kept circling his brain, torturing him, infection his wound to the point of self suffocation. It was all to much.

"I could of took it" was all he said.

"I know you could but you didn't"

"Why does she keep takin' my damn balls?" he groaned, slamming his head into his bloodied fist and scrunching his eyes painfully.

Hershel laughed a little, fondly remembering his first wife who had been the love of his life but also the person to of had him wrapped around her cute little pinky.

"That's women for you"

"What is?" Carl interrupted as he stepped into her cell with a dirty face. He had clearly been crying but he was trying to hold it back with a scowl and a puff out of his chest. Daryl knew exactly how he felt and decided not to pity him.

"Nothin' son. I think you should go back to your father. Amelia won't be awake for a couple more hours" Hershel lied as he tried to fix a warm smile to his face.

"She'll want me here when she wakes up" Carl snapped back, taking a seat next to Daryl. "I need to be here" and Carl fixed Hershel with one of the most determined stares he had ever seen. Hershel nodded and decided to drop it, it wouldn't cause any harm.

"I did as she said. I practised and it should of helped...now look" he mumbled, taking in the bloody soaked rags at her wrist.

"If it weren't for you we would have been in a bigger mess" Daryl grunted.

Carl's eyes widened with acceptance and happiness but it was only brief, his grief was over powering. "Amelia said the eyes give away a persons intentions and thoughts. I saw her thoughts and pain. I just knew that she taught me these things for a reason" and he looked down at the bloodied knife in his hands and nodded with affirmation.

"Sounds like a smart lady to me son" Hershel agreed as he did his final checks. A grim expression however couldn't hide from his old face. It wasn't good. Amelia was fading quicker now, her breathing barely there. There wasn't anything that could be done with a lack of supplies and a medical professional. It seemed all they did was make do with what they had.

Daryl began to zone out finding their conversation to uncomfortable to bear and he found his brain pestering him to remember what had happened in the woods before it had all gone wrong. He remembered the way her lips felt on his, the way she smelled and how her hands gripped his hair. As nice and strange as it had been he wished it wouldn't of ever happened because he felt responsible for what had happened after. Maybe if Carol had never said Merle's name then maybe none of this would of happened. Amelia would still be fighting fit, teaching Carl things in the yard that she thought he needed to know.

Daryl could just stare and think from afar. His feelings wouldn't ever be tied up, he wouldn't be worrying now about her, he wouldn't feel like his heart was being ripped through his chest and feeling like a nancy for letting it.

It all seemed like the universe didn't want Daryl to have a shred of happiness. He had never had it so that must mean something. He was broken and ruined and nobody should want to be with a person like that, right? He had scars all over his body to prove it. He was unwantable, unthinkable, untouchable. Yet Amelia had eagerly touched him, wanted him in that brief moment..she thought about him, he knew she had. Amelia had said he was ruined for her now, that must of meant she had wanted him before.

Daryl suddenly felt a little bit of the weight shift as he turned off his recent evidence. He felt like it was Christmas, someone suddenly seeing him, he was there, he wasn't to be ignored. He lifted his head to find Hershel's hands erratically working her chest and Carl's sudden scream came into his ear drums.

"She's stopped breathing Daryl!"


	29. Chapter 29

Please read- Wow guys...some of your comments have really blown me away. I can't believe how nice everyone has been about this story. Some of you have said the last chapters have been your favourite and others haven't been able to sleep because of them...I love you all so much for that. I channel all of your nice things into making this story better...I'm so shocked I'm sorry. Thank you for being so kind!-Abbie

Did my heart stop with yours?

They say on average a person has around four out of body experiences, this was Daryl's. As he pushed past Carl to get to Amelia he vaguely remembered the thought process that was leading him to this current moment. His worn bloody hands began pushing down on her chest, into her ribs and out, trying to push back the life that had quickly escaped her frail body. The speed picked up as he watched his hands do the work that he had never thought he knew or understood. Hershel somewhere in the background was shouting for Rick, to bring his cuffs, afraid that she would turn at any second. The moment was on a tipping scale and none of it was in Daryl's favor.

Daryl was scared, he didn't want to see her turn but he also didn't want to let her go. He pushed harder, swearing into the cold cell, damning her, whispering her name. It was no use, she wouldn't come back to him. Amelia didn't want Daryl and his fresh anger reassembled his pain. He screamed out, so loudly that it hit the walls and bounced back into his ear drums. He couldn't be the one to put her down, not like he had Merle, she didn't deserve that.

As Rick began placing the cuffs on her tiny hands, a look of pain across his face Daryl began to feel his energy wear thin and he had never hated himself as much as he did in that moment. It was all he could do not to cry over her body. Daryl didn't cry; no he was a real man, strong, didn't need nobody. Amelia's last bit of air had wheezed from her lungs on his last compression and he lost it, he stumbled back as if her touch had electrocuted him, his eye's wide like he had been the one to have took her life.

"Daryl" Rick whispered, trying to reach out a hand.

"NO!" Carl screamed, pushing past them both and launching himself at Amelia. Rick flinched, instantly reaching for his boy who was in harms way but Carl fought back. Pushing his father he turned around and as hard as he could slammed his balled fist into the center of Amelia's heart.

"WAKE UP!" He yelled and hit out again with a fierce intensity.

As if Carl's fist held electricity Amelia's body jumped forward, her eye's rolling to the back of her head as she gasped for breath. Falling back suddenly, against the pillow with a newly restarted heart her eye's lulled back.

The room stood in silence as they watched Amelia's chest rise and fall like nothing had happened. Hershel was already there, checking her pulse and eye's trying to work out what really had happened. Poor Carl, he was stood clutching her hand like he had a little hope to hold on to now. He couldn't tear his eye's away.

Daryl stood in shock, trying to feel his body to get it to move, to run away, away from the prison somewhere far in the woods where he wouldn't have to feel this pain anymore. It was worse than being tortured, somebody was dangling Amelia's life infront of him on a strong and he couldn't reach for it.

"Hershel?" Rick asked, his eye's never leaving Daryls.

"She's back. Her heart is thumping Rick...Carl may have just saved her life" he breathed not quite believing his own eyes.

In that moment Daryl felt an intense hatred for the little boy touching Amelia. How could someone so small and naive be able to do what he couldn't? And then the painful thought of not being good enough for Amelia slid back into his hazy, troubled brain. He wanted to bawl like a baby, hit out at anyone and anything in order to stop the pain threatening to cripple him from the inside. He wanted the damn beautiful woman on the bed to open her eyes and shout at him. He needed something. He had never needed something before.

"Rick!" Came a scream from outside of the cell. "Rick we have something!" Glenn yelled as he raced into the cell carrying a small blue and white box.

"Glenn now is not the time" Rick ground out, his eye's trying to set the younger man to stone.

"Now is exactly the time. Me and Tyreese did a run to the hospital near town. We found blood Rick! It was kept in these units, it's okay cause' it has some sort of chemical that keeps it" and he pushed past him excitedly so Hershel could take a look. Tryeese then stood in the door way, awkwardly trying not to stare at the moment he had hated so much. He was covered with blood, his ripped muscles glistening with the liquid but he didn't say a word.

"We don't know her blood type. It's too risky to just put anything in to her system, she could hemorrhage, clot, anything!" Hershel breathed, wiping his sweaty forehead with an old hanky.

"No! Amelia has her blood type! She has it in her bag"

"What Carl?" Risk asked confusedly.

Carl rushed to Amelia's backpack that a few months ago he had eagerly gone through without permission and came across a small plastic wallet with all of her medical details. His trembling fingers pushed them into the old mans hands, his eyes trained to see his approval and reaction.

"Oh it's rare...O negative" and Hershel looked to Glenn with a small glimmer of hope that they would have her type. Glenn's brow furrowed as he delicately but quickly rummaged through the clear bags of blood. Pulling out two bags he pushed them towards Hershel "Oh my..."

"Wait!" Daryl hollered "You ain't putting that shit in her. How do we know it's even safe?" he growled, his eye's dark.

"It's safe" Tyreese grumbled from the back. "It has compounds in the bag to help store it. It's her only chance" and he left before anyone could argue with him, clearly uncomfortable under the rednecks gaze.

Hershel and Glenn hadn't waited for Daryls approval as they hooked her up, replacing the IV drip with her blood. "Are you okay?" Hershel asked, afraid to take in Glenns sudden bloody appearance.

"Yeah I'm fine! We didn't spend enough time in there not to be. Tyreese had my back" and he nodded to himself.

"I'm surprised Maggie let you go"

"Me too but she saw how beat up Amelia was. We wanted to help" and Glenn threw a sympathetic look towards Daryl but he refused to accept it. If he did then he would be definitely putting his feelings out there. He was comfortable with that. Hell he wasn't even comfortable with anyone touching him or being near him mind telling the world he was-involved with someone. Although Daryl should have been grateful for Glenn helping him out and he had forgotten how much the Governor had done to Maggie, the love of his life. The emotional damage of it all...

He stumbled back and rested on the wall. He needed a moment alone but he couldn't bear to leave her alone so he sat back and pretended it was just them. Sensing Hershel and Carl had began covering her up, making her comfortable for what was going to be a rough night and Rick and Glenn had left to go check on the others.

He wanted everyone to leave.

–

Maggie and Carol had given in to their womanly duties and began fretting over everyone. Dinner was cooking and they had already scrubbed the table clean of Amelia's blood but nobody sat it now. Out of respect they sat on the surroundings others.

"You think she's gonna' make it?" Maggie asked as she took her seat next to Carol. Both women looked ragged, their clothes messy and dirty and bags under their eye's to reflect the past few days.

"Who knows? She surprises us so much" Carol shrugged but quickly wincing at how heartless her words had sounded.

"You really don't like her do you?" Maggie asked, her eye brow raised in a chastising way. Maggie liked Amelia, to her the girl had more balls than anyone she had ever met and she had been nothing but honest to her and her family.

"What? Of course I like her. We've put our differences aside-I didn't mean to tell her that about Merle" and she looked down glumly into her bland soup.

"Come off it Carol. It's not that. You don't like how close her and Daryl are now. It's normal to feel pushed out-"

"I'm not jealous! Gosh I'm too old to be jealous. I'm just wary for him Maggie. He doesn't trust easily and I don't want to see him hurt"

Maggie looked towards Amelia's cell and hoped silently that she was doing well "So you're not in love with Daryl Dixon then?"

Carol looked down quickly, trying to think of something to change the subject with but couldn't find anything and really struggled to look at the young girl "I'm not IN love. I just care for him..."

"Oh Carol!" and she hurled herself over the table to wrap her in a tight hug that she didn't feel she deserved. Carol knew deep down it was stupid harbouring feelings for a man who saw you as nothing but a friend but she couldn't help herself. Daryl Dixon had been the only man nice enough to treat her with a little respect. To him her opinions mattered and that had been alluring. Carol had felt like a real strong woman with Daryl around but now she felt weak and undesirable.

It was wrong for her to feel jealousy for Amelia but she couldn't help it. The way Amelia walked was attractive, the way her long dark hair caught the light, her bright green eyes, her skills, her ample bottom and firm breasts, her long less and beautiful skin. Why would anyone pick plain old Carol over this beautiful creature? Even covered in blood and cut open she looked better than Carol. Daryl would never like her, no never.

His brooding eye's never left her as her cell finally emptied. Everyone was tired and preparing for tomorrow so he scooted closer to her, trying not to give into to his own needs of sleep. Daryl would not let her down on this. It was the least he could fuckin' do he figured. What he deep down wanted to do, but would never find the courage to was to get on the small bed with her and hold her so that in a way she wouldn't be able to leave him. He would hold on tight enough. However, instead he decided holding her hand tightly would be enough. The softness of her skin on his was inviting and soothing, she was warm too and he felt himself leaning into the side of the bed with his eye's closing.

It was okay-he would only rest them.

There is no such word as rest when Daryl Dixon was barely clinging on to the conscious. He was already asleep by the time his head had hit the mattress. His mind was again, reliving their kiss, his first kiss but the setting seemed different, darker. He felt himself scrambling suddenly and they where both on a large bed with the lights off, touching each other, trying to take one another's clothes off without their mouths leaving eachothers. Daryl was surprised at how brave he was was being with her but she was giving him no choice to be anything less.

Her hands where all over him, pinching, scratching, pulling him in closer and he was groaning at her fierce intensity of want and need.

"Daryl" she breathed huskily into his ear "I want you"

And it was the best thing he had ever heard in his entire life. He was staring into her lust filled eyes, not believing his luck as the beautiful woman below him began to kiss his neck. He wasn't sure whether to take her right there and then or get her to write it down on paper. Daryl Dixon had never been wanted by anyone, ever.

His own lust returned and he pushed her down with a smirk and began to tear at the small buttons of her shirt, desperate to see her but what he saw almost killed him. Blood was pouring from her chest, leaking all over his hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking at him. He couldn't respond as he was jolted back into the conscious, sweating and shaking trying to calm every nerve in his hyper aware body. He looked at her then, grimly seeing her sleeping form across the bed and felt the guilt of a life time return.

"Fuck" he breathed, letting go of her hand and turning his back on her "Fuck it all"


	30. Chapter 30

Please read- Chapter thirty guys! Oh my god time has really flew by hasn't it? Well I hope you enjoy this chapter, this is for the small amount of you that constantly review! I love you all for reading and enjoying Amelia and Daryl so this ones for you. MORE ANGST.

Please don't break me anymore.

Waiting, tick tock...waiting. It was all Daryl seemed to have done since he woke up this morning. He barely ate the food that Carol had dropped off as he continued to watch Amelia's chest fall and rise. When Hershel arrived early to check on her he barely said two words to the worried old man. If he just kept his eyes on her the whole time then nothing could change and she couldn't fade. He needed to believe in his irrational way of thinking. It was the only way stopping him from coming to terms what was happening. Daryl Dixon was really feeling the world now..

"No improvement?" Carol asked as she stood in the door, her hands touching the cold bars.

Daryl shrugged, not ready to talk but he tried anyway "I can't tell"

Carol took this as an invitation to talk as she walked in and took a seat by him, absently looking at the young woman lay across the bed hooked up to blood bags. "She has a little more colour to her skin now and plus Hershel said her pulse was stronger this morning"

This was the first he had heard of it and he wasn't quite sure on how to respond around Carol. He was timid when it came to letting his side out in front of her. He wasn't no damn sissy. He nodded slowly "She's a strong son of a bitch" and he nodded again as if he was trying to reassure himself that what he was saying would apply.

"You're worried"

"So what? I can't worry bout' no ones ass but yours is that it?" He snapped back, aiming for her weak spots, wanting to lash out to get rid of some of his frustration.

Carol didn't even wince "Of course you can worry about her. She's been good to you, what she did out there-"

"She didn't need too" he growled, pushing away from Carol and placing himself closer to her. Carol saw all she needed too and smiled softly before getting up and turning to leave.

"If you need anything you know where I am" and she left before he could even argue with her. He knew that somewhere deep in that conversation Carol had gotten his point and he began to feel bad for it. He didn't want the woman always in his business, trying to work him out, pushing his feelings out there so he could never get them back. Daryl liked being on his own and a mystery. It meant no drama.

"You're so rude" croaked a frail voice from the corner of the small room. He spun around quickly, jumping to his knees when the sound of her sweet voice hit his ear drums. A frantic beating of his heart reminded him of why his holding on was worth it. The green eyes he had been desperate to see where sleepily blinking at him "I need a drink Daryl" and she outstretched her hand towards the container next to him and she began to blink rapidly at the blood drip attached to her arm.

Frantically her other hand began trying to rip the needle from her but Daryl grabbed at her and pulled her away.

"No. You need it. It's okay" He forced the water container into her hand hoping for a quick distraction. Amelia grasped the container and began chugging down the water, gasping at her own thirst. "You fuckin' scared me. You've been out for days" he growled, filling up her container as she wiped her mouth. He could see how tired she was but she needed this, to keep going, she was dehydrating and the blood she was taking in wouldn't work on a weak immune system.

"I don't feel right..." she breathed as she fell back onto the pillow, her eye's lulling back once again. Daryl's hand was instantly on her forehead, he was ignoring his body's screams to keep his touch to himself.

"Your burning up..." he whispered, his eye's large with surprise.

"Get Hershel" she croaked as her hands began to rest on her heavily bandaged body. Daryl was up like a shot, ignoring the pains of being sat on the cold floor for too long and he was out of the door shouting the old mans name. When he came back he saw Amelia's eyes rapidly look around the room as she struggled with her breathing, she seemed mad and confused as her body began convulse without her.

"Daryl!" she yelled "What's happening!?" and he was next to her now, holding her hand as her back arched. He was lost and had nothing to tell her, his eye's where rapidly scanning her bloodied face when Hershel hobbled quickly into the room.

"Move son!" he yelled but Amelia held on tighter, he had to physically remove himself from her before moving to stand against the wall.

Hershels hands where holding her scared face now as he began trying to regain her attention "Listen to me Amelia, you're going into shock, you need to calm down or this is going to get worse. You are taking in fluids, that's all. It's just blood" Amelia's body slowly began to regain it's self as she took in everything he was saying.

"Why am I hooked up to the stuff?" she whispered. For the first time since Daryl had met her she seemed innocent and childlike.

"You suffered a heavy amount of blood loss" and Hershel sat next to her, taking her hand in his. Daryl almost flinched at the sudden anger pooling in his own palms. Why could he never do enough or be good enough for her? Why was he so helpless at this? And he breathed. Trying to calm himself and concentrate on the person that needed it the most.

"Am I dying?" she asked.

"No. No you're doing really well"

"Well fuck. I wish I had. I feel like crap" she groaned, looking over to Daryl "You let them put this shit in me?" she demanded to know angrily.

"Either that or you die" and he shrugged. Amelia softened slightly and tried to sit up but began retching at the sudden amounts of pain in her torso "Go steady woman"

Amelia ignored him anyway as she pushed herself painfully against her pillow and brushed her knotted hair away from her chest. As she looked down at herself in disgust Daryl had the sudden urge to tell her that she was still beautiful and her scars would fade over time but he didn't, he just stared.

"You need anything?" Hershel asked, feeling a bit in the way under their stares.

"A new body perhaps?" she mumbled.

"You'll be okay. You're strong" and he patted her leg before hopping away with his worn out crutched. Amelia finally let out a heavy breath and groaned.

"Oh my god it hurts like a bitch" she cried, trying to look under the bandages but Daryl was already there swatting her hands away. He was angry with her for making a big joke out of it all, she didn't realise how lucky she was, how many blood lives she had. Daryl sat down roughly next to her and slyly took her in, ignoring the shaking in his hands. As he held her hands down he suddenly became self conscious that he hadn't bathed or slept in days, she surely wouldn't want to be looking at his sorry ass first thing?

"We did it" was all she said.

"Just. That was a really fucking risky move you pulled. How'dyouknow Carl was ready?" he asked, pulling her wrists onto his lap without realising it.

Her green eye's sparkled "He always was. He's a very attentive young man...he just needed a little push. Is he okay? Did he see?"

Daryl groaned at her sudden amount of questions "Of course he saw but he's okay. Boys probably seen worse"

"I doubt that" and she winced as she tried to make herself a little more comfortable. "You okay?"

"Will you stop stressing about everyone and focus on yourself. Yesterday you where on hells edge now you wanna' play mother hen" he hissed, dropping her hands. He saw the hurt flash in her eye's but it was quickly covered under a sneer of her own. Amelia remembered why it all had started and he was seeing that now, he felt like he was suddenly under the magnifying class of her anger.

"You have got to stop doing that Dixon. I aint' your fucking punch bag because you don't know how to get your emotions out" she snapped, also pulling away from him.

He suddenly felt cold again, like she wasn't there when they weren't touching and he felt himself shifting closer to her.

"Forget it. Don't get worked up over my sorry ass. Everyone will be happy to know your awake"

Amelia sighed heavily trying to let go of her own frustration and looked at him from under her long eye lashes "You sure about that? I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms"

"No but you came back on the best. You did something Rick and them couldn't even do...or I could do" and he grimaced as he caught her eye.

Amelia's weak hand suddenly came to touch his and his flinch had only just been controlled "You helped. If it wasn't for you I would of never have gotten...my revenge. You kept me focused"

"If it wasn't for my brother you wouldn't-"

"Please" she whispered, wrapping her fingers around his hand tightly begging him not to go on about the man that had caused her so much pain. Amelia was so weak to him now and he knew she needed him more than ever in this small moment so he gave it to her, happily, eager to prove himself. It was strange to him that through her he learned more about himself.

Amelia suddenly leaned into him and his back went as stiff as a wooden board but he refused to move, trying to push out all of his nerves. Placing her head on his shoulder she slipped her hands from his and placed them on his stomach. "I don't want to remember"

–

The whole camp ran around with elation as they began preparing for Amelia to join them for dinner. Hershel was dead set against it saying the journey down the stairs was too much but Amelia refused to give in and she knew Daryl and Rick would be there every step of the way down.

It's only when she saw Carl's face did the emotion of what really had happened to her hit. Amelia and Carl had taken someone's life together but it had only made their bond stronger. Daryl had told Amelia all about Carl rushing to her side and hammering down on her chest until she came back around, he needed her to live and it touched her in a place that nobody had ever been before. As tears of happiness fell down her face she pulled the little boy into her softly.

"Are you okay?" she asked, sniffing and pushing her hair back.

"Silly question Amelia. I'm so happy you're awake" and he stood on the bench next to her and wiped one of her tears away "We did good didn't we?"

Amelia nodded softly "Of course we did" and she felt Daryl's hand on her back ready to seat her, she groaned and winced but it didn't take long for her to get comfortable. Everyone surrounded her, asking her and Daryl questions about what really happened and they told them every little detail. Amelia even told them why she had personally attacked the Governor and not once person as far as she could see disagreed with her actions. All of them reeling from personal experiences with the psychotic man.

"Glenn...Tyreese, what you did for me I won't ever be able to repay but thank you. You saved my life" and she focused her main attention on the surly looking man in the corner holding onto his wife. He nodded but that was it.

"You don't owe me anything Amelia. What you did out there set me and Maggie free...we can begin to rebuild again" and he took his girlfriends hand and squeezed it affectionately.

"Amelia and I work as a good team. Did you see what we did though? It was a few seconds...insane" Carl rambled as he began to re-enact what had happened that night. Rick didn't look to pleased that his son was taking pleasure in the loss of someone's life but didn't speak out. He would chose a more private moment.

"You've got the touch that for sure" Beth beamed down at him happily as she stood over the table bouncing a sleepy Judith. Carl had never looked so happy as he stared at the girl that always had his attention and Amelia couldn't help but grin herself.

Maybe they all had a new chance.

–

"Can you stop a second?" she wheezed as they came to a stop mid way up the metal stairs. Daryl nodded gruffly and helped prop herself against the banister. "I gotta' heal quicker this time. I can't be dealing with feeling like an old age pensioner" she hissed.

"You need to quit rushing yourself. You'll heal when your body wants to" he ground out.

Amelia flipped him off and began trying to take the stairs on her own but it was almost impossible. Just lifting her legs had become a tiring task so she didn't reject Daryl's touch when he reached her. They soon reached Amelia's cell and Daryl was ready to go to his perch and sleep, his own body had had enough a long time ago. Amelia however had other plans as she grabbed onto his dirty ripped shirt and pulled her in with him.

"Woman-" but he was cut off by her soft lips on his, working him, daring him to argue with what she was doing but he was completely dazed by it all. He didn't even realise that she had slowly pulled him down to her bed until his hair scraped the softness of a pillow. He was scared truly, the small amount of space and her weak body pressed against his infiltrated every one of his vulnerable spots. The intensity of her kiss began to push all of the 'right' buttons in his head and he felt his own mischievous hands begin to shyly grope her in places he wasn't accustomed too. He felt her wince though and pulled away, his eye's never leaving hers...he began to mumble incoherently, ignored her when she tried to stop him.

"I gotta' sleep woman. Leave me be" was all he snapped before slipping out of her cell to his perch.


	31. Chapter 31

Please read!- It's extraordinary how many people are reading this story! Thank you and thank you to everyone who sends me messages and reviews in detail. I always love hearing what you think about this. Just a little fyi- tomorrows chapter is going to be a lot more action packed than it has been throughout the whole story so review! ;)

Your mouth and eye's don't match up.

To say Amelia was hurt by Daryl's rejection was an understatement. Mortified and angry at being shunned away from her first real experience of giving into her needs she forced herself to sleep. Squeezing her eyes shut didn't really help. Ignoring the pain in her chest from holding in her anger and completely ignoring that she needed to take it easy her mind began to dangerously wander. Barely hanging on she was too wrapped up in her emotions. Daryl had been so eager to touch and kiss her in the woods...what changed? Or was it a ploy just to keep her in the prison for Rick? Had he-

Amelia slammed her fist down on the bed and bolted up right. "Ow" she breathed angrily as she swung her legs around to get off the bed. She couldn't sleep now, she was furious and the pain was beginning to be nauseating. Amelia needed to go outside to puke, it was gross but it was the only thing to stop her obsessive process running her brain and body. Ignoring Daryl as she stepped round him she tried to get out of the prison as fast as she could. Her legs seemed to weaken with every step she took and her breathing became ragged but she knew fresh air would help her regain herself.

As she stepped out into the cold nights breeze of spring she became retching wildly. The pain hissing at every nerve of her skin pushing her to the edges of terrifying screams. Putting her hand against the nearest wall as she vomited she tried her hardest to remain calm but the pain was taking over. Amelia should of never have left that damn bed.

"Amelia?" Called Ricks concerned voice "Oh my god" he hissed as her knees buckled.

"I'm dying..." she wheezed out to herself "Fucking hell I'm really dying this time" and she tried her hardest to scramble back up but Rick was there now, picking her up by her legs and pulling her frail form into him.

"What's happened?" he pushed, taking her over to a deserted bench in the middle of the prison and placing her down gently. Amelia looked at him through her wet eye's and tried to remember why she had been so pissed with him.

"You happened Rick" she hissed, wiping her mouth and counting to ten to try and stop the nauseating pain.

"I'm sorry?" and his eye's seemed darker than normal and he hadn't slept in days. He was really weak emotionally and it was beginning to show.

"I wouldn't be in this damn mess" and she quickly pointed around scornfully "If it wasn't for you. You forced Daryl to befriend me and now you all have what you want I'm left fucking broken. Well I hope your happy Officer fucking take-everything-I-can" she spat, trying to push his hands away. It was like she was drunk now, he was blurring in and out of her consciousness.

"I didn't force Daryl to do anything. What's really happened?-Amelia!" he yelled as she began to get up, needing to get away from the ringing in his voice.

"Oh god!" she groaned, her sides feeling like they where being split open. "I'm dying you bastard. Do something" she groaned at him before finally slipping onto the dirt. Rick didn't hesitate as he picked her up and rushed her into the quiet prison. He shouted for Hershel three times as he layed Amelia back down onto table. Everyone ran into the room, dazed by sleep but terrified by the sound of Rick's scream.

"What happened?" Hershel demanded as Carol helped him down the metal stair case.

"No idea. Found her outside being sick...says she's dying"

"Looks like it" and Hershel began inspecting the bloodied bandages that had once been clean.

"Just put a bullet in my head doc. I can't..." and an ear rippling scream erupted from Amelia's mouth as Hershel stuck his finger in one of her wounds.

"She's infected...her wounds that is!" she snapped at Carol for gasping.

Daryl was behind him now trying not to look at Amelia "What'chuneed?"

"Antibiotics. A drip and clean bandages. They're in Carols room"

"Carl!" Amelia screamed "Carl" and he came running to her now, his terrified little eye's taking her all in.

"Yes" he mumbled.

"Go get my bag okay? Please?" she cried as Hershel began ripping away her bandages.

"I was so careful...I don't understand" he mumbled as his hands brushed her skin.

"It was the fucking blood you moron. I can't accept blood donations" and she screamed again as the fire took hold of her. Carl was gone in a flash to Amelia's cell and Rick was by her now, holding her hand as tight as he could. To him it felt a little like the time Lori had given birth to Carl...but this was far more serious and he could tell by the amount of blood pouring from Amelia.

"Hershel I'm going to bleed out again. There ain't nothing you can do until its out" and she began to wimper now as the adrenalin subsided. Carl was already outstretching her green rucksack to her when she pointed to Hershel to take it.

"No Amelia I can't have this..."

"No you old fool. There's adrenalin shots in the front pocket. Pierce my heart when I go...if I don't come back you better put me down-"

"Wait-" Daryl spat, coming into her eye line.

"Fuck you Daryl" she hissed, puffing out the last bits of her oxygen.

"How do you know this?" Hershel asked, his eye's examining his new best friend, the little black box.

"I just do..." and she turned to Carl "I ain't going nowhere kid okay. You gotta do what you did last time but this time you gotta hit harder" and she winked through the intense pain. It was only when Daryl pushed his way through did she feel the energy fade from the back of her brain and she relaxed her head back.

"Here we go" she whispered before falling, tragically into the deep dark. The last thing she heard was Maggie's voice screaming "Rick you gotta go!"

–

Rick had to physically restrain Daryl from running to Amelia's lifeless body. It was all over, he knew it. Amelia was dead and it was all because of him, if he would of just stayed with her, looked after her then maybe he would of picked the infection up. If he hadn't got to caught up in his selfish emotions he could of saved her life.

He screamed when he watched Hershel brutally pierce her chest in a desperate hope to save her. Carl quickly stepped up now, hitting as hard as he could on her chest to force the adrenalin to do it;s work.

"I'm so sorry Daryl" Rick whispered as he fought to restrain him.

Carol and Maggie began to wimper again in the background and this all felt like deja vu to him. How could she have been so fine one minute and suddenly knocking on deaths door again?

"No. You promised" and Carl hit again but harder, his little face angrily screwing up with anger. "You promised!" and he hit out again but this time something changed, Amelia's body bolted forward, almost taking Hershel of his foot and a whooze of air fell from her lungs. Carl caught her in time and placed her back down. Daryl's eyes desperately began to scan movement across her chest and he almost fell when he saw it.

"Well done son" Hershel whooped as he pushed by him to begin his work. Hershel understood now that he had to do his work, re stitching and painfully cleaning her wounds while she was under. When she would wake she would be in serious pain so he began to crush antibiotics ready to put it into her water.

Nobody really moved. Too scared that if they did they would soon realise that what had happened was real. Amelia Princely had come back from the dead three times and she wasn't infected...

–

"She's going to make it Beth" Carl said as he sat with her, clutching his little baby sisters hand and smiling softly at the young woman who held his small heart.

"She's gone through so much. Ya'll think she can take it but I'm not sure"

Carl's chest stiffened automatically over the state of Amelia but he was quite prepared to stick up for her infront of Beth. He was a love sick puppy and would do anything to please her.

"You'll see. She picked me again. Did you see that?"

"That's cause you're the smartest" and she pushed him playfully. Laughing slightly he looked at Judith and wondered if his little sister would be smart just like his mother.

"Amelia says I have a gift for the stuff she does. It means I can protect you, dad and Judith" and he felt a small smile tug at his face.

"That right?" and she grinned at him, enjoying the little blush that was burning his cheeks now. "Well that's real nice to know Carl" and she gently pecked him on the cheek.

–

"You don't know shit. I was with her and she was fine...we had an argument so what" Daryl spat as he began to pace outside infront of the over turned bus.

"She was out here saying something about me forcing your friendship with her. Looked pretty upset about it" Rick ground out, placing his hand on his hip and leaning into Daryl. Tyreese was quietly listening in on the conversation but didn't dare put his opinion in, not knowing that Rick and Daryl where all for Amelia being in the camp with them.

"I-I shouted at her. That was it! Get off my back" he growled, turning away and coming back as if he wasn't quite sure of what he was trying to do.

"Why?" was all he asked and Daryl felt like putting his first through his face. It was different with Rick now. Rick had always treated everyone different then he had expected to be treated and Daryl didn't like that. Hell no he didn't.

"Aint' none of your damn business"

Rick sighed heavily, dropping his hands and leaning against the bus. "Amelia is in there fighting for her life right now and that's all you gotta' say. C'mon Daryl you know there aint no sides"

Daryl began to soften towards his old friend that had been there for him more in the past year and a half than anyone had ever been in his life. He also leaned against the bus, totally forgetting Tyreese was there.

"Bloody woman kissed me. I got carried away and urt' her" and he looked away, not wanting to see Rick's reaction.

"How did you hurt her?" he asked gently, trying not to push the already sensitive subject.

Daryl groaned inwardly "Got abit heavy handed. Ain't ever had a woman fling herself at me before" and he grinned a little, remembering the feeling of her hotly pressed against his mouth.

"You hurt her feelings Daryl. That's why she was so worked up when she came outside..."

"What?"

"Amelia must of felt rejected" and he opened his hands. Rick was trying really hard to think out the box here. Women just wasn't his subject.

"But she don't care bout' that plus I wasn't rejecting her. I felt bad for hurting her...didn't think she would wanna' after that" he grumbled, kicking the stones across the card only to infuriate the stray walkers outside the fence.

"Women for you..." Rick sighed as he patted Daryl's back "I never did learn to understand them but seems to me you only hurt her by pushing her away"

"I ain't good at this stuff Rick. Don't wanna be. I wan't to concentrate on surviving and doing my bit but she's always in ere'" he ranted as he pointed to his head.


	32. Chapter 32

Please read- Oh dear! I am so sorry guys that I've been missing but to cut the story short I'm currently having maintenance at him which means my internet has to be stopped until it's done so I'm currently hacking into my phone data...I love you all that much. I don't know how long it's going to be but I'm still going to get these out every day. Also wow you've blown me away with your support and I'm going to reply to you all ect :) Oh and MavericJack I would love to reply to you but unfortunately it wont let me so a huge thank you from here! This is for you.

Death destructs even Gods finest products.

She had been here before. The bright setting with the beautiful blue sky ahead of her. Amelia was waiting for the train in her camps village, hoping the train would be quick. Her pain would end quick. Fidgeting with her bag she stared down the long vacant platform and began to feel her pulse quicken. Not quite sure on what her next move was she timidly took that step, over the yellow warning line. Amelia could see the train now in all it's speeding glory, the green strips and yellow coating that highlighted it's brand.

It was funny to her after a life time of pain and sadness that the moment she was going to end it all in had gone to nothing. It made her panic. Was she doing this for the right reasons? Was life worth more? Was this just a mere depression that would simply pass once she had grown up, passed her exams and gone out into the real world, silently protecting those who needed it. It all became a blur as she saw the train hurtling towards her and she tried to pull herself back.

"Don't do it!" Called an older man from a hidden corner of the platforms shelter.

"I have too. Don't try and stop me!" She cried back, feeling a sudden breeze whip her hair.

He ran to her now, with a bad hip and a long grey beard that was awfully long. "It gets better. You're not ready young lady. Don't do this!" And he was before her, reaching his hand out desperately. Amelia looked down at his frail wrinkly hand and couldn't work up the courage to take it.

Amelia began to tear up as she looked into his kind old face "I have nothing"

"You have everything!" He ground out "you have a whole life of finding new things and people. Don't cut it short. I beg you"

Amelia began to feel her legs buckle at the sight of the hurtling train mere seconds away from her "I don't-" and she was pulled harshly away by the old man. His breath ragged from the sudden action but he looked at her, wearing the biggest smile on his face.

"Now young lady, I think you owe me lunch" he breathed as he linked arms with her and began pulling her away.

A rattling pain broke through her weakened body like it was nothing. As she woke to be held in a prison full of the relenting pain she tried to remember exactly where she was but it was slow to fade in. As her eyes began to fix on the person sat next to her she tried not to hiss out, it would only cause more pain.

"Go" she mumbled to Daryl who just stared down at her.

"No" he hit back, his mouth turned down into a worried frown.

Amelia tried to hit out but her hand was pulled up, attached by hand cuffs that weren't the same as the first ones. Amelia wouldn't of been so mad if she wasn't in pain, she understood they were worried about her turning. As if noticing this he began to explain-"I knew as soon as you woke up you would want to go. Can't have that" and he obnoxiously turned from her.

"That isn't your decision you bastard!" She snapped trying to hit him with her free hand but the pain pulled it back down.

"Is now"

"How the fuck did you get that?"

He shrugged, almost not being able to control his voice with the short delay "I made a decision I'm gunna stick with it. You got a problem with it, I don't care. You understand what I'm saying?" And he turned to her with a steely expression that he had never used with her before.

"What did I do? Other than die that is"

"You pulled away...you're pulling away. We're in this too deep now" and he stood up and left, not bothering to look back or even ask if she wanted a drink of water. Amelia felt like she had gone back in time to their first meeting. Amelia was Daryls prisoner now. In more ways than one.

The day was spent in and out of consciousness but she was sure that things had changed. Amelia had changed and now as she struggled with her weakness. It was unfair to feel so exploited when you thought the people that had your back suddenly turned like a dime. A few people had come to check up on her but only Carl was the one truly excited to see her.

"Hi 'Melia, you look better! I brought you some water" and he thrust it next to her, spilling a few drops on her skin.

"Thanks" she breathed, grabbing the container and draining it. "You wanna take these off of me?" She asked as she rattled the cuffs.

Carl's face tinged with pink as he looked at her "I can't. Daryl said you're not allowed to leave and if I try and help you he'll skin me" and his acted out the ruthless action with disgust on his face.

"You're selling me out!?" She asked sarcastically.

Carl grinned "No but I don't want you to leave either. We're family now and you know it" and he took the cup from her and passed over a chocolate bar.

"I need to pee" she hit back, testing his resolve.

"I'll get Daryl!" And he jumped up.

"NO! he's a boy..."

Carl's face brightened with a fierce colours of red and his lips popped a quick 'Oh' "ill get Carol!" And before she could say no he was off in a flash.

Amelia was real pissed now as Carol walked into her cell with an uneasy smile. Amelia just couldn't forgive this woman for her hot and cold behaviour and for getting her into all the trouble she was currently in but she needed her now. Pushing herself up she huffed loudly "It's okay Carol I've only needed to pee since this morning"

Carol rushed on apologetically "Sorry! Daryl said to call for him if you wanted to get out but he's out hunting. Here let me" and Carol began to unlock the tiny cuff around Amelia's wrist. As Amelia flexed her terribly cramped wrist she resisted pushing the woman aside and making a break for it but she had other things to worry about.

"Why is he doing this?" she hissed as she stood up, the pain in her ribs bringing warm tears to her eyes.

Carol held out her hands ready to catch her "Thinks your gunna' leave. Said he's doing it for the group"

"Fuckin idiot. It's more than that" and she began making her way towards the door but Carol stood infront of her, chest pathetically puffed out.

"I have to follow orders. You're not to leave without one of us there. You're really sick and-"

"I'm a grown woman Carol" she bit back but Carol was having none of it as she snapped back the cuff on her wrists and placed one on her own. Oh that did it. Amelia was cuffed to the one woman who didn't want her in the prison. Because Carol was in love with Daryl Dixon. As Amelia bit back a cry she frantically began trying to think of another scheme to get herself out of all the trouble. If Daryl wanted a war then she was going to bring it, in that moment of anger she was going to make him wish he was with the walkers rather than her.

As she sloped off to the bathroom she couldn't help but wonder whether if she was better off leaving the prison. They hadn't really welcomed her and she had broken all of her rules she had made as a frightened little girl. Maybe being here was going to get her killed...more than enough.

–

Darkness was just fading through the heavy forest that surrounded the prison now and Daryl was slowly making his way up the path. Exhausted from his hunt and hungry from the long day he couldn't even be bothered to take down the snarling freaks next to him and let Rick do it from afar. He wanted to crawl up into his little make shift bed and forget this shitty world even existed but more importantly he wanted to see Amelia's pissed face, just to make sure he was doing something right.

As Rick and Glenn welcomed him back he noticed a small change in their faces. Rick was avoiding his eyes and Glenn just wouldn't stop staring.

"T'fuck I got on my face?" he snapped, throwing down his crossbow.

Glenn flushed "Nothing. Nothing man but there's something you should know..."

"Well spit it out will ya? I aint' got all damn day"

But it was Rick who spoke next, clearing his throat and placing a hand on his arm "I don't know how to tell you this but...Amelia broke free and dissembled your brothers bike...and she's hid all of the pieces"

"You better be fuckin' with me Rick or I swear to god-"

"You'll do what? Lock me up? Turns out that wasn't your best plan" and he watched her step out from the dark shadows. Her beautiful hair was placed in one of the messiest buns he had ever seen, her skin was incredibly pale from her sustained injuries but she still maintained a smirk that could wipe the floor with him.

"What the fuck you done to my bike lady?"

Amelia sneered as she got in his face, her hands ready to slap the argument out of him but instead she clasped the cuffs around his wrist and then hers "Lets go see shall we?" and she grinned mischievously when she placed the other around her. Daryl began to instantly panic, his survival instincts flashing read at this sudden capture. He was fucked as hell if anything was to happen...plus he was attached to the one person that made him doubt every fuckin' thing in his mind. As he tried to yank himself free Amelia happily went with him but tried so hard to ignore the burning pains all over her body.

"Now I don't think this is necessary. If anything was to happen to-"

"Shut up Rick" Amelia snapped back, rounding on him and bringing Daryl with her "You let him do this so you're just going to have to let him get it back. Don't get in my way" and she began to yank the tired redneck to her first surprise, one of Daryl's most prized possessions. His poor bike lay in the middle of the floor just before him, a simple frame with two wheels and that was it. He almost cried out at the sudden bareness of his once beautiful bike.

"Wanna play find the rest of Daryl's bike?" she asked, looking at her handy work.

"You fucking stupid or just crazy. This is my bike!" and he couldn't bear to look any longer so he chose to look at her, he could see swipes of oil across her face and hands now. Amelia brought her free wrist to her face and shoved it in his face "This is my fucking freedom. You put these on me one more time and I'll personally feed you to the fucking walkers"

"It was fer' your own good. You aint' stable. You need-well you need me!" and it all came out, everything, every bottled up pieces of the puzzle flew out of his mouth and she actually stumbled back. Daryl knew she needed him, he had seen right through her? But it couldn't be. Oh no, he had been bringing her in and pushing her back like she was his play thing but now she could see it was nothing like that...it was much, well, much better. It terrified her to her core. Amelia had never had anyone care for her so deeply...he got it wrong most of the time and through his gruff comments he was trying.

"Well...that was stupid of me" she breathed out, trying hard not to look into his piercing blue eyes.


	33. Chapter 33

Author note- First off let me put my apology out there to everyone who waited for me to continue this story. I had to have some time away as I wasn't really feeling connected to it. I was too busy caring about the stats and reviews to really concentrate on what I was writing. I still don't know if I'm going to carry this story on but I have another one in the works. A Caryl story if anyone's interested.

Just a thank you for being so kind.

Until death tears us apart

Have you ever sat there so quietly just listening to all your surrounding sounds and wondered what your purpose in life was? Have you ever felt the breeze brush past your neck and wonder if you're truly alone in the world? Have you ever come so close to death that you begin to count him as a friend?

It had all happened so fast. One minute Amelia was looking into Daryl's eyes trying to work out how damaged they both were as they fixed his bike back up and the next there was an attack on the prison. Someone had gotten themselves bitten... Tyreese had cleared the walker traps in the dark when one attacked him from behind. Amelia couldn't do enough to save her new family. As she battled through the darkness, fear gripping at her neck she tried desperately to keep the grounds free but people where panicking. Rick was grabbing for his family, Carol was ushering people into prepared cars, but Amelia was fighting.

The muscles in her body screamed in protest, she was too weak and fragile to do much but that didn't stop her wiping out a lot of them. It was only when two strong arms pulled her back, dragging her away from her new home did the realisation that everything she had wanted so much was gone. As she climbed on the back of Daryl's motorbike, her eye's scanning quickly for Carl she had to fight the urge to cry. In the prison she had left her backpack...full of all her memories. Pushing her face into Daryl's back she bit back a cry, he only stiffened to her touch but didn't remove her. He could sense her pain, much deeper than his.

They had travelled for an hour when Rick's truck hastily pulled up onto the side, he stepped out, cradling little Judith. His eye's red from tears of failure and anger but his shoulders slumped.

Amelia felt the world on her shoulders as she stepped off of Daryl's bike, ignoring his protesting stare. Amelia knew that she shouldn't approach Rick when every wall of sanity he had rebuilt was crumbling but at that moment they both felt the same. Failures. He buckled just before her, Judith still tight in his arms but Amelia took the brunt of his fall and softly grabbed the sleeping child. It was a tired Maggie that took her away into the sides.

"I've failed her, again" he howled, his hands punching into the dirt.

"No!" she hissed, dropping to her own knees "No we all did" and she tried to grab him but he pushed her harshly away"

"It was my responsibility!" he ground out, steel returning to his watery eyes "I was supposed to keep you all safe, to keep it ticking"

"Tyrone got bit man. He wasn't being careful. It ain't nobodies fault but that idiots" Daryl's snarled from behind them. A huge wail of a cry came from behind them and Amelia knew it was Tryeese's wife but she couldn't think about that now. She had work to do on Rick.

"You listen here Rick. You gotta' pull your shit together one last time"

"I can't" And Amelia felt her heart break for the man that had clung so desperately to everything in his life for it to be viciously torn away.

"You got no choice" she hissed "I'm going to get that prison back Rick" and she lifted his head so that he could see her "I'm going to get it back but you've got to get us to a safe place. You gotta create hope for these people one more time"

"Son, we always knew one day we had to run" Came Hershels old voice.

–

"You fuckin' nuts. You ain't going back there 'Melia. It's over run now. You don't stand a chance" Daryl sneered as he pulled her into the side of the forest, his hard hands barely brushing her body.

"We both have to. Fuck Daryl we aren't going to survive out here. That prison is our home" and she looked him dead in the eye's when she said the word 'our'. He knew she wasn't to be told no but it didn't stop him from doing so.

"I ain't risking it. We all Rick's got" and his eye's fell to the floor.

Amelia stepped up, ignoring the shaking in her legs and grabbed his worn, dirty shirt. He flinched away, trying to remove her but she was persistent.

"We gotta' do this for us Daryl. We have to prove the universe wrong...it keeps trying to pull us apart"

He slowly but determinedly removed her hands that felt like they where burning through his shirt to his skin but he held them inbetween them both. This woman was not to be told no and he knew that. Before he would of let her go, on her own, not caring because it always caused him pain. Now? He was going with her, he had her back.

"You're going to kill me" he whispered.

–

Glenn and Maggie had found an empty gas station just up the road for them to hole up in for a couple of days while Amelia and Daryl worked out the plan for the prison. Rick still wasn't speaking much and he was barely interacting with his frightened group but Daryl stepped up. He kept everyone busy, he kept the fragile hope alive.

Amelia was just fixing her borrowed backpack from Maggie to Daryl's bike when Carol approached.

"You don't have to risk your life for a pipe dream" she didn't bother with any pleasantries. Amelia turned to look at her and noted straight away the pain and frustration rolling over Carol...but she understood it.

"It's not a pipe dream. It's been reality. I just have to get us back to it" and she began checking she had her weapons stashed all over her body.

"You're forcing Daryl back out there you know? He's only going on this suicide mission because of you"

"He has free will Carol" Amelia ground out.

"There is no such thing as free will when you're in love!" she spat out, her eye's tearing up with sudden jealousy and pain but Amelia knew she wasn't just talking about Daryl. Trying to ignore the cold shivers down her spine she turned around, refusing to hear Carols revelation. Nobody would ever care for Ameila...Daryl could try and get past the mess she was but he wouldn't ever be able to. Some people are just too broken.

"Stop Carol, you're out of your depth" Amelia hissed back as she slotted a knife up her shirt sleeve into it's holder.

"No I think that's you Amelia. I just hope you know what you're doing" and as Amelia turned around to speak her mind Carol was gone, rushing back into the dark gas station. Rick and Daryl passed her but was too involved in their conversation to notice a distraught woman dashing past them. Amelia groaned inwardly.

"You guys don't have to do this..we-we can find somewhere else, it's probably over run"

Amelia was the first to snap at Rick's weakening resolve "It's only the first two yards that would be over run. The door to the prison was closed, unless the freaks still know how to use a door handle I think we're safe on that"

"We're just going to scout the place out first Rick. No rash decisions"

"But if we can get it back we wont hesitate" Amelia finished, ignoring Daryl's eyes.

"I don't want you risking your lives for this" And Rick held out his hand to her but she refused to touch him. Her guilt for not being able to protect his family was really weighing in her and she wanted to be on the road, correcting it as soon as possible. Instead Daryl intercepted his hand.

"We got this Rick. Keep everyone safe here and we will be back soon" and they both nodded stiffly to one another.

–

As the wind tousled her long hair she felt herself grip tighter to Daryl who was expertly weaving through dead cars that where strewn all across the roads. There where grave yards everywhere now, toys, blankets, bodies all over the place but that wasn't what was affecting her. It was thinking of Daryl and the way Carol had used the word 'love'

"Loosen your grip woman" he hissed over his shoulder, breaking her away from her intense thoughts.

"Sorry" she mumbled but it was lost in the wind. Amelia was a little embarrassed but too tired to care, if she was being totally honest she was intoxicated by the way he felt against her and the smell of his hair...wood and earth sprung to mind. It was strange to her that touching him in this way, a simple, innocent way pulled her into a place she had never been before.

They weren't far now, Amelia could tell by the way Daryl was picking up speed. He was just as eager to see how badly things had gotten, he needed to know if they where going to fight a lost cause.

–

Daryl had never felt so alone in all his life with the situation that was heavily pushing on his shoulders. When he had lost the prison his urges to protect the people that had accepted him had become far greater then he ever wished. When it was just him and Merle he was alright, he didn't have to show any affection and he knew Merle had his back and could handle himself. It was a lot different now.

They were only a few yards away from the edge of the prison when he stopped the bike, taking the weight so she could slip off first. Amelia was trying to catch his eye but he was avoiding her, avoiding what was about to happen.

"Daryl..."

"No, just shut up woman" he snapped as he grabbed his cross bow from the back of the bike.

Amelia rounded on him, angry but ready to get it all out into the open before they started.

"If we go in there and something happens-"

"No. Shut your damn mouth" he snapped, stepping forwards aggressively but regretting it when she stepped back.

"If I die-"

"You ain't going to die!"

She ignored him "If I die then you run Daryl. You make them all run but you don't give up okay? There's a place for you all-"

"You can't just let it be can ya? You ain't going to die in there. I got your back" and he made a grab for her but she moved away, rejecting him. He suddenly felt a wave of hurt pass through him and it almost made him puke.

"I know but you have to promise me this. We are about to walk into hell and we both know that-"

"No!" he growled as he grabbed her and roughly pushed her against the tree that was only a few centimetres away. Amelia whimpered slightly but she didn't fight back, this wasn't out of anger. He was struggling to come to terms with his emotions and she could see that.

He looked into her eyes trying to find what he needed but it wasn't resurfacing. His hands trembled against his chest as he tried to fight the urge to run. What had she done to him? Daryl had always thought his daddy had fucked him up real good that nobody would ever want him or want to protect him.

"I ain't good with this shit but I know you can't just come into someones life, make them feel things they ain't ever felt and then opt out"

"I'm not opting out" she breathed, her hand reaching to touch his face but he slapped it away.

"You as good as said it. I ain't going in there unless you're coming right back out with me" and he stood back letting her finally breathe. Amelia took a step towards him though, trying to find the right words.

"I was just preparing you for the worst"

"I don't need babying Amelia. I ain't a fucking boy. I know a lot about this world to know shit happens but it's not gunna' today. Shit!" he hissed and he swung around, his temper flaring in places that burned him.

He could feel her staring at him and could feel her own confusion of emotions but he wasn't brave enough to turn around. He just took his knife out of his leather jacket pocket and grabbed his backpack.

They silently, made their way into the dangerous woods, trying to regain something back that both of them where unsure of. Daryl watched her all the way, watched her hair bounce when she stepped down, watched her eye's uneasily eye her surroundings but most importantly he watched how her hand twitched for her weapon. He knew that strong woman he had taken to was still in there. He just had to force her back out.

Review?

Oh and btw how cool is it that Rick barricaded the prison yards with traps? I saw called that haha.


	34. Chapter 34

**Authors note-** Haha! Thank you Maddy-MarieXO for keeping it real in her review, it made me laugh a lot! I've decided I'm not going anywhere. I'ma be a boss like Amelia and keep fighting ;) thanks guy!

I know the last chapter was a little rushed but I gotta' get things moving. I hope you all understand. Keep up the reviewing ect :)

There can be miracles, when you believe.

As light descended over the prison Daryl and Amelia slowly but cautiously made their way towards it. They had only taken three walkers down and Daryl had done that with his bow. They weren't talking to one another, too afraid that they may say something they weren't ready for or sure of. Amelia however had to break the tension. Nothing was worse than tension going into a fight.

"I really miss my ipod" she groaned into the silence.

Daryl looked up, confused and almost stopped "What?" he spat.

"I said I miss my ipod. I miss listening to music. All I ever hear now is nothing, silence, it's irritating" and she stepped over a large branch.

"I like the silence" he said "Keeps me thinking, aware if any little noise goes off"

Amelia nodded understanding his personality but also his hunter traits. They didn't talk much after that as they made their way to the fringe of the woods that would lead them closer to the prison but Amelia could tell Daryl was feeling uneasy, his back was straight as a rod and his bow was at eye level. Keeping her cool she reached for her knife that had been tucked safely in her boot.

"Oh shit" he breathed as they both looked onto the prison grounds. Walkers where everywhere, they had gotten through a tear in the first fence from the outskirts. Scattered everywhere she couldn't help but feel a little fire start up in her belly. Amelia could do this. They weren't in the prison nor the last fence so she only had to slip in, take them out and fix the hole.

"No!" he growled, pulling her back into the woods.

"It's easy. You distract them, I take as many as I can from behind and you take the front. We can get this fixed"

"Fuck Amelia I said no. You aint' using me as bait and what if one gets a hold of you...you're weak as it is"

"There's thirty Daryl. I've handled more with less energy" and she pulled her arm from him and looked back to the prison. "We can do this"

"We need back up. It's safer if we have another person" he tried to argue but she whipped around.

"Don't be such a pussy Dixon. Lets take back apart of our fucking lives without the help of others" and she sneered, clearly pissed off with him. He just nodded knowing she had a point but also because she had to do this.

"Lets make a deal. You be the distraction and I'll fix that hole. I ain't no use lugging this bow running" and he walked past her, right up to the fields and began making his way to the left. Amelia nodded but wanted to run after him, to say a good bye just incase anything happened but she shook her head and darted for the right. It didn't take long for them to notice her-

"Come on you ugly bastards!" she yelled, running towards the back of the prison. Throwing her knife like a dart she hit the first walker too close for comfort square in the head. It fell with a vicious groan, tripping two others. As they clawed their way up, bodies swaying she pulled out a small hand gun and took them down. That was three. Elated that this was easier than she first perceived she got braver and took another two down.

However the noise of the gun had awoken two walkers from behind her that she hadn't been aware of. It was only when two arrows flew over her shoulders did she realise just how stupid she was being. Thanking the sky for Daryl she began her assault on the large group that was building around her.

If they got to close she would step back but she was beginning to use up space and she wasn't sure as to where Daryl was. Her body ached with every slam of a knife or with ever throw but she was okay. Every part of her on edge from the terror that was unfolding around her, she needed Daryl to back her up but knew he could only do so much. As she stumbled back from a snarling walker, a middle aged woman that was missing half of her hip lunged forward. Amelia kicked her and planted her knife up into her throat only to be sprayed with dark blood.

The next one was on her now, angrier and drawn to the smell of her now but she stepped up and took it down but she was too slow. Her body wasn't reacting well to the sudden bursts of energy

–

Daryl had only just managed to tie the large hole in the fence back up when he joined the fight. They where all on her now, desperate to feed on her flesh and the thought made him sick. He took the back, they where unaware of him and it made it easier. He had almost taken five down when he spotted her hair, relief spread over him like wild fire. Spurring his energy levels on. Never in a million years, no matter how skilled he had been in hunting would he have done this before her but she gave him the courage to keep on fighting.

He was closer to her now, no matter how many dead bodies walked inbetween them. He could see how powerful she was when she took them out, how quick she was when she was being attacked but most of all he could sense a change in her. It was what he needed. As blood dripped down his forearms he kept his eyes on her, only briefly looking at what was attacking him before taking it out.

Amelia had been right, this was easy and they both had to do it. As the last three walkers circled them he found his back against hers and her hands snaking around his belt, she grabbed for his knife and he sent bolts flying. Amelia had only taken a second to take the last one out. They stood touching, panting, completely elated but frightened at what they had just accomplished.

"I told you so!" she laughed quietly as she passed Daryl his knife back and began retrieving her own.

"Don't get on your high horse just yet. We gotta check the prison, be sure" and he swung his bow around his back.

The sun was really setting now and it was bringing an intense heat. If it wasn't for the smell of rotting blood and corpses lying around everywhere Amelia would of still thought everyone was tucked up in their cells. As they made their way towards the next fence Daryl spotted a large figure idly walking towards them. He knew just exactly who it was, it was Tyreese, his mouth was covered in dark blood and his clothes splattered with it. Daryl would of felt sorry for him but he was just dumb enough to have gone and got himself bit.

Amelia stopped, too afraid to look at how close they had really gotten.

"I got this" Daryl soothed as he twisted his bow around and sent a bolt flying to the guy that use to occupy the cell, five up from Amelia's. As he landed to the ground, dust flying up around him Amelia couldn't help but feel for his wife struggling to come to terms with the painful fact her husband was gone.

Life had become so fragile. It was clear when this body had hit the ground. Daryl didn't waste any time in retrieving the part of his favourite weapon. It only took him a few seconds to catch up with Amelia who was ready to check the prison.

"You really think none of them got in there?" he asked from behind.

Amelia looked over her shoulder, right to him and stared deep into his blue eyes. As the wind picked up it lifted her long hair and pulled it to the side.

"Honestly? I'm not sure anymore" and she stared down at the smudge mark that lay on the metal door. "Lets go" she mumbled as she yanked open the door and turned on her flash light. It wasn't as dark as she thought it would be but there was still many dark corners she wasn't willing to trust yet. They slowly made their way down the corridor, their hearts beating heavily in their chests as they waited with berated breath for the familiar moaning.

Daryl got ahead and silently indicated for them to try the kitchen area. They knew that no walkers would of got passed this part, the other doors where always locked unless Rick had let you through. It would only be two open planned rooms to check and they where safe.

Daryl was the first to sweep the room but found no indication of any walkers entering this part so he silently let Amelia in. As soon as she walked in she knew this space had been tainted and her eye's found a spot of blood on the edge of the first table. Pointing silently to it Daryl scorned himself as he lifted his bow back up and began making his way towards the next room.

Amelia was very aware of her surroundings and knew that even in a rush that nobody had hurt themselves enough to cover the corner of the table. There was only one place they/it could be, in the cells. Cringing at the sudden thought she pushed on, ignoring Daryl's hesitant eyes she took the first step up towards the perch.

"Shit" she breathed as the tension mounted upon her. Daryl was gently pushing her own, eager to get it over with but she knew he was there for her if she needed him. As she took the last shaky step she looked ahead of her and almost fell to her knees.

A young woman, who if wasn't tainted by death would have been so beautiful. Instead her face was marred by death, her skin degrading disgustingly downwards. Her eye's where dull and white but it was her clothes that really affected Amelia, she was in a white nightie hanging over what use to be Judith cot. It was soul destroying to watch this monster yearn for something she wasn't sure of anymore. Amelia felt frozen to her spot, even when this monster turned to her and began to run towards her. Daryl had pushed by her and took her out effortlessly, even making sure this monster wasn't to taint Judith's little cot.

"What-what was she doing?"

"Aint' no she about it. Just instinct. Don't think about it"

"How can I not? Did you see her Daryl? It was almost human...like she was-" but he turned quickly and pressed a rough hand over her mouth. Wild animalistic anger was in his eyes as she was pushed back into the wall, her head however didn't hit the wall as his other slipped around and her head.

"Don't go there 'Melia cause' once you do there ain't no coming back. Just don't think about it" and his eye's began to nervously dart, trying to be brave and focus on her. Amelia stiffened against him but reached up to to remove his hand from her mouth. He could see she didn't know what to say and he was afraid of what she was going to so he did what his body wanted to and pressed his lips, a little too roughly to hers. Amelia responded quickly but timidly to his kiss, afraid that if she pulled away the realisation it was happening would be a little to much.

He was unsure of what to do as he worked his lips against hers but knew that this little contact was the only form of his new self that he wanted to keep. In a previous life he had never wanted be touched, never cared for relationships and friendships but he had found himself in Amelia. As much as he hated it she was now apart of his torn mind and soul.

He could feel her pulling away, unsure of his reasoning behind his sudden actions so he let her. He couldn't look her in the eyes so he settled for the spot behind her.

"You're so confusing" she breathed, gently pushing him away "We gotta go" she mumbled shaking her head as she stepped away. All Daryl could feel was rejection bubbling within every part of him. Was his kiss that bad? Was he bad? Did she not want him? Did she just feel sorry for him. Rage passed through him in the moment and he turned away, kicking at the corpse that lay looking up at him from the floor.

Women would never want Daryl. Who the fuck was he kidding? His daddies words echoed in his skull, painfully "Aint' nobody gunna' want your sorry ass. No woman would touch you" and he stumbled back at the painful memory that hit him. He hadn't realised it until it was too late but as Amelia grabbed out for him, in a form of comfort he lashed out, an image of his father before his eyes as he back handed her away.

Amelia fell back, spitting blood, tears in her eyes.

Authors note- Oh poor Daryl, his emotions finally exploded. What did you guys think? it's only going to get more angsty from here. Thank you to a allons-ymeg for reviewing! it's so nice to see that some people have stuck by me.

Let's go guys! I'll be posting two more tomorrow depending on you.


	35. Chapter 35

Authors note- Guess who got another charger? Moi. I waited like it was Christmas so I could get these chapters out to you guys. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your nice reviews. I think it's the most I've ever received. Oh and thank you to everyone that is now following and favouriting...you guys rock!

I know this might not be everyone's thing but I had an account on Quizilla called xXxLittle-LeighxXx that was full of stories if anyones interested in that.

You're not alone

As her tongue flicked out to the split on her lip she almost cringed at the taste of copper in her mouth. He had taken her down with a swift smack, unseeingly angry he had pushed her away and left her completely vulnerable on the floor. Amelia had understood almost instantly that Daryl was having a little episode when he took out his anger and vulnerability out on her. There was no hatred in her, no anger that he had hurt her. No Amelia had seen something in him that wasn't your typical 'woman beater', no Daryl Dixon was broken, afraid and he was falling for her. He had only ever been rejected...she had rejected him without meaning too.

"I-I-" he stuttered, his eye's wide with terror as he took a stumbled step towards her.

Amelia brought her hand to her lip and wiped away the blood quickly "It's all good" she lied "I know it wasn't meant for me" and she held out her hand for him to help her up. This was the ultimate forgiveness, if he was to grab her hand then they would both forgive eachother in that moment. There was no saying 'sorry' about it or being cute. These too where born fighters, unsure of what affection really was and they were still learning.

Daryl seemed uncertain but he timidly grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Amelia had other plans and wrapped her arms around his stiff body. Pulling him close, even though he didn't want to be she quickly pecked his rough check and stepped away; blushing. As their arms awkwardly hung at their sides neither one of them knew what to say.

"I ain't never meant to hit you...you just got close and I-"

"It's fine. I get it. I'm not going to kill you in your sleep if that's what you're worried about" she joked, gently shoving him. Daryl couldn't laugh though, he was too busy glaring down at the cut ruining her perfectly plump lips.

He didn't say much after that, deciding to pick up his bow and get ready to head back. In the mist of their angst they had totally forgotten about wiping this place clean for the group to return. Amelia just followed, eyeing him suspiciously but decided not to push him anymore. It was obvious he was in a really tricky place right now.

It didn't take them long to head back. Amelia deciding to get the awkward ride done as soon as possible, leaving the mess for Rick to clean up. The drive went by quickly but Amelia couldn't help but go over in her head what had happened when he kissed her and what she had done wrong. Did he feel rejected? She was just worried about what was happening and needed air, surely it had been obvious.

Daryl however was trying his hardest not to stop the roaring bike in between his legs, throwing it down and running off into the woods. Life had been simple before, granted that he was in a world full of drooling freaks wanting to kill him but he was surviving, day by day. Now he was surviving just with thoughts in his head of her, clouding his judgement. Life had been simple when he didn't need or want no body. Nothing but his bow and bike mattered to him.

It wasn't long until they saw the gas station and Amelia almost jumped for joy. They had barely said a word on the ride and she was sure that as soon as they stopped he would go back to ignoring her again. Amelia didn't want to think about it.

Rick and Glenn where the first to greet them, their eye's scanning nervously over their bodies hoping for good news.

Amelia was the first to speak "It's safe" and Amelia saw the relief burst through Rick and found herself suddenly smiling "It wasn't to bad. About twenty or so outside and one inside but we-"

"One?" Glenn asked, his eye's widening and sweat dripping down his dirty face.

"We took care of it" Daryl sneered, pushing past them both. The two men chose to ignore Daryl's bad turn in the conversation and focused solely on Amelia.

"It was a stray. Daryl took care of it" she breathed, suddenly wanting to walk away too.

Rick walked up to Amelia and suddenly grabbed her chin and lifted her head up to inspect the now forming bruise around her new cut.

"What happened?"

Amelia shrugged him off "Got elbowed by a walker" she lied "There was a group of em' this one really wanted me" and she faked a grimace. Rick clearly didn't buy it, probably to aware from his days of being a police officer but she knew he wouldn't push it. It wasn't his business.

"It's safe?" Called Hershel, wobbling out of the little worn down station.

"Sure is! Lets go. We've got a home to go to" Glenn called happily down to him, practically skipping down the little path to tell everyone the good news.

"I can't ever repay you for this" Rick told her, looking deep into her eyes.

"You can start by hauling ass. We need to get back before dark" and she started to follow Glenn until Rick's strong arm stopped her and pulled her her back.

"You okay?" he asked, dipping his head to take a closer of her. The way his eye's scanned her made every inch of her shake, he was looking into her and then through her. He was good at that and she didn't like it.

"Nothing but a misunderstanding Rick" she breathed, her eye's dropping to the floor. It was all but a second when she felt Rick's calm hand soothingly move her hair away from her eyes.

"I know Daryl ain't got a mean bone in his body against a woman but you gotta give him a chance" but the way Rick was looking at her spoke another story, another option that she could possibly take. Removing herself from him she turned away, refusing to accept the situation she was in.

–

Daryl was furious as he stared out of the gas station window towards Amelia and Rick. The way Rick easily touched her sent a fire down to every one of his fingers. Never in his entire life had he felt an intense jealousy against another person in his life. He just wanted to run out of the little building and ram his fist right into Rick's face. Rick had fucked his life up enough, he wasn't taking Amelia. He had his chance. However he said all that in his head it didn't help him go out there and tell Rick. No, instead he watched as they got closer and closer, feeling sick with every second passing.

"You did good today Daryl" Carol said from behind.

"What?!" he snapped, his eye's still on Amelia...she was blushing. Rejection flooding back to his brain, clouding his eyes. Amelia hadn't wanted him because she wanted Rick? No it couldn't be. Rick had been so good to him, Daryl saw him as a brother and Amelia...well things had happened.

He was sure they had. But then again his brain was polluting with poison, threatening his resolve.

"What's wrong?" Carol asked, clearly hurt.

"Just piss off woman and finish up getting shit together. We aint' got all day" he snapped before grabbing his boww off the till side and heading outside.

–

Everyone was happy to be back except for one. Daryl was angry and alone, just the way he liked it. He hadn't said anything when he stormed out of the building with a few supplies and headed on a hunt. He simply couldn't be around people. He needed to alone with nature, his real home and just let everything go. It wasn't going to be as simple as that.

–

Amelia had spent all night silently worrying about Daryl. Finally, she had admitted to herself that there was a special room in her heart for the redneck. He had been a friend to her, not that he would ever admit it but he had looked out for her, she wanted to look out for him. However he had gone and she was worried that he wasn't coming back.

As everyone celebrated she got stuck into work, clearing up the dead walkers in the yards and taking them out into the woods to burn them. Glenn had decided to come help, feeling guilty that he hadn't contributed much to the group lately. He could tell she wasn't in the mood to talk but that didn't stop him.

"Maggie is real happy to be back here. It's nice to have somewhere safe...I'm just, well I'm worried that it'll be short lived again" he said as they watched the fire beginning to burn. Ignoring the smell.

"I'll keep it safe" she hissed out.

Glenn sighed "I know you will but there's only so much you can do" and he nervously wiped his hands down his trousers.

Amelia began to put her hair up, not wanting it to smell of rotting dead bodies before she answered him "Don't worry Glenn okay? I got this" and she began to walk towards the truck.

Glenn wouldn't leave the situation alone though "Rick is making you do so much, well you've done so much for us. Hell you even nearly died for us...it's not a balance"

"Fuck Glenn. This aint a world for being fair? If I can keep you guys protected I'll put myself on the line for you all. It's my job"

"It ain't your job. You don't owe us anything!" and he slammed his fist down onto the trucks front.

Amelia eye'd him, working out what he was really trying to say "I know you're worried, scared that another person will let you down but I got this. If we all stick together we can survive this. We're a team"

Glenn took his hat off in some sort of protest and began rubbing his eyes "You're a good person Amelia. I guess I'm just not use to those types of people anymore" and he tried to smile.

Amelia scoffed as she climbed into the truck "You don't know about half the stuff I had to do before we all got dropped in the shit"

Glenn instantly gulped..."I don't want to know"

Amelia laugh could be heard echoing all the way through the woods, sending birds fleeing from their nests.

–

Carl eye'd Beth warily as she cradled his baby sister. He couldn't understand how she managed to look so peaceful holding a wriggling baby that demanded her attention all the time. In real awe of her he wanted to pick her brain and see how she ticked but just having simple conversations with her seemed almost non existent given his nervousness towards her.

"Ya'll just going to sit there staring or are you going to help me feed Judith?" Beth grinned as she bounced a happy baby upon her knee. Carl shook his head, trying to stop the blood rushing up towards his cheeks.

"Want me to hold her?" he asked, reaching out for his sister. Judith was happy to see Carl, blowing snot bubbles towards him.

"Please" and she was quickly passed to Carl who had to sit down. Almost instantly, like a professional Beth began to feed the baby her last meal for the day. "It's great being back in our home isn't it? Daryl and Amelia pulled through"

Carl nodded eagerly, ready to please her. "Amelia is real good at getting us where we need to be" he said, grabbing Judiths hand.

"You're daddy too" she added in.

Carl grimaced a little "Yeah but since Mom...well he hasn't been the same leader he was"

Beth scorned him with just one look and he wanted to return to his corner and play hidden.

"Your daddy is a good man Carl. You need to appreciate everything he's done for you..and us all"

From the outside anyone would have noticed the first seeing of real love blossoming. It was in the moment that Carl really respected Beth as a person, she had her own opinions and wasn't scared to voice them. It was an attraction that he couldn't deny. In that very moment Carl had quickly grown into an adult. As his mother said, look for the good and don't stop until you find it...Carl had just done that.

He smiled at her, bright and huge, no longer nervous "You're right"

A/N- Ya'll know what to do to get more of Daryl.


	36. Chapter 36

A/n- Just thought I'd give you a little hint for tomorrows chapter...well it's going to be steamy. Review for Daryl's awkwardness.

Talk is cheap.

A snow storm heavily enveloped Amelia as she trekked across a large field towards her target. The cold barely touched her tonight, she was too hyper aware of what she was about to do, to eager to get it done and get out. They wanted him dead, said he was using his policies for evil so she was to take him out and get it out of there without a trace. Amelia was good at playing hidden, nobody really cared for the assassin, it was better that way. However something was off tonight, it may have been the way the air smelled to her or the way she constantly kept falling short when she realised there was no back up.

At the house, lit up much like a Christmas tree Amelia could already see her target, an older grey haired man, wearing a dark blue suit talking into his cell phone furiously. It would be easy as soon as he put the phone down. He looked like the type to father five children not pay money for armies to slaughter children and wives to gain power. Slipping behind a tree she readied her weapon, taking in a deep cold breath she forced the doubts out of her mind and steadied her hands. This one would be one to enjoy, the savour the way his light faded, for those children that didn't ever have a chance to fight.

Her hearing suddenly picked up a scuffle towards the back door of the building and she knew it was her targets body guard. The body guard was useless, too over weight to really do anything, he was just used for his appearance.

"Ah something they didn't tell me about" and she flew around the tree, taking him down with her silencer. It was now or never, she stepped over the dead body that lay bleeding into the pure whiteness of the snow and slipped into the building. The house lay out was open and simple, more fool him she thought as she began to work out which room he was in. Most of the house was dark, only a few lights on but it didn't stop her. Pushing her way through two heavy oak doors she found him, his back to her staring deep into the fire. Raising her weapon she aimed for his head, it would be easier this way but he suddenly turned and she stumbled back, trying to level her aim again.

"Who the fuck are you?" he spat, his lips snarling.

"I'm nobody" she mumbled before gently squeezing the trigger.

–

Amelia had never woken so violently before, she almost screamed as she bolted up right, panting for air but she refused to give in to her old memories. Amelia was a changed person now, she didn't do things for an empty face anymore. No she was respected and trusted by the prison. Shaking herself out of her memories she looked out of her cell for Daryl but he still wasn't back. Flopping back she groaned, feeling embarrassed for instantly looking for comfort.

Rolling onto her side she tried to think of anything but him.

–

Daryl was loading up the truck full of his kills with the morning sun beating down on his neck. The little trip had been worth it, the camp would feed on deer meet and rabbits instead of dried pastas and rice. He couldn't wait to see his perch and rest a little, he had taken out his anger and frustrations on his old friend the forest and felt better for it. Although he wasn't ready to face the memory of smacking Amelia away he was ready to clear the air with her. If she wanted Rick then he would be okay with it but he would distance himself from her...Afterall he didn't need any distractions.

As his fingers drummed the steering wheel he instantly found Carol and Maggie ready to let him back in. Nodding quickly he sped up a little, getting over the little hill and that's when he saw Amelia, bent over tending to Carol and Hershel's garden. Her long hair was over her shoulder to the side and her pale skin shone beautifully under the sun.

He nearly ran over Rick.

"Sorry" he mumbled as Rick jumped out of the way. Rick laughed a little, heading towards the door to open it for him. Just as he stepped out Amelia turned around, looking right at him and then away again. In that moment everything changed. He wasn't going to let this go. He couldn't. The way Rick turned to look in the direction had Daryl itching for his bow. Delusional with anger is how he felt.

"She won't say it but she's been worried about you"

"No need. She ain't mine" Daryl snapped, pushing past him and dragging out the dead carcasses.

Rick shook his head "It's there for you Daryl...your own happiness. In this day there aint' no second chances" and he said it as he helped pick up the other end of the deer.

"You seem to be getting em' Rick. I saw the way you and her where together" and Daryl hadn't meant for it to come out the way it had but there was nothing he could do.

Rick looked ready to drop the dead carcass inbetween them "It aint' ever been like that between us Daryl...I wouldn't ever go for another man's woman, you know that. I'm just looking out for you both" and the guilt came flooding back to him. The memory of Amelia on the floor, bleeding because of him refused to clear from his head.

Just when Daryl Dixon thought he was finally working shit out this happens; he wasn't sure on what to do so he just kept on moving, trying to get his lips to work with his brain.

"It still stands...she ain't mine Rick. Cant seem to do nothin' right these days. Shit, I aint even asked for this. I just like a simple life, well simple with these freaks mixed in against my damn will" he ranted.

Rick stopped, and eyed him from under his large sheriffs hat and almost smiled "You don't choose it Daryl, it chooses you"

Scoffing loudly he laid down the animal that had been roaming the woods looking for food onto the concrete before the prison doors. Squinting down to the prison he spotted Amelia walking towards him, baggy jeans, sunglasses and a chequered shirt tied around her waist. Dirt looked good on this woman. He looked to Rick and then back to the woman that was making her way towards him. He was almost sure that she was about to scold one of them out by the way she was peering over her shades until she slipped past them. Without brushing him she ignored them both and made her way into the prison like they didn't exist.

"Wait" Daryl mumbled as he spun around to follow her. Amelia however refused to acknowledge the man behind her acting like a child and decided that getting a shower was more important. "I said fuckin' wait" and he grabbed her wrist but she was quick, spinning around the face him with a mouth full of fire.

"Get off me" she growled and he released her instantly. Taking off her shades and shoving them into her pockets she waited for him to open his mouth. He was lost, looking at her lips and then to her eyes. It hurt him just had hard this all was.

"Just listen. I ain't never been good at sharing my feelings and all that crap but I gotta say this now or I ain't ever gunna' say it" and he felt the nerves prickle up his spine and his palms begin to sweat. It made him even more nervous when he face gave nothing away.

"Go on..." and he could see her biting her lip, nervously. The cut was still there and she was going to make it worse.

"I-I well...I think you-" and he paused, trying to catch his breath "I think you've done well" was all that he could say. His brain wanted to tell her that she was all that he had in the world and he refused to leave her or let her go. He needed to tell her that he was going to be the one protecting her and being a shoulder to lean on. He wanted to kiss her lips, put his hands in her hair and take her out into the woods and lose himself with her. He didn't say anything. He just crumbled.

"Er Thanks Daryl" and he could hear the hurt echoing in her voice as she turned away, ready to leave him and his awkwardness alone.

Something jumped into Daryl forcing him to say more "Your rack looks real nice in that shirt...wait!" and he physically stumbled upon something he should of never had said out loud "I mean you look nice, you look nice today Amelia. I didn't mean to say that to ya. Ah fuck this!" he huffed, swinging his bow around his shoulders and darting for the nearest exist.

Amelia was left to stand there, in her own pool of awkwardness trying to work out what had really just happened. Had Daryl been eating some funny mushrooms out in the wild or was he going through an early mid life crisis?

"Men are batshit crazy" she concluded to herself with a slight nod.

"But you're the one talking to yourself" Interrupted Carl, as he came into the prison's make shift kitchen. He was covered in dirt and eager for a wash himself.

"Carl, do men find it really difficult to tell women how they feel?" she asked, ignoring the embarrassment of having to ask a near teenager the goings on of the opposite sex.

"Yep. Whatever we say always seems so stupid" he said as he passed her, not bothering to see where she was going with this.

"Riiiight" she said outloud, almost smacking herself in the forehead "I gotta find Daryl!" and without saying bye to Carl she ran back out of the building and spotted Daryl bending into his truck, retrieving his last goods of the day. He had barely turned around when she pushed her way into her personal space.

"I get it" she said, out loud, catching her breath "I don't find any of this easy" and her eye's where steely and fierce. There was no use pretending what was happening between them both wasn't just because they didn't know what to do. They would have to learn. "Tomorrow I could die, you could die. We both could be torn to shreds by the freaks out there" and she pointed towards the dead gnawing at the fences "but I just have to say that I think you look really fucking nice too, today, that is" and she smiled a bright smile.

Smirking, understanding just where she was going he nodded slightly. This is what attracted him to her, she didn't need to hear the details, she just needed the gist. Amelia wasn't your average woman. Turning away she began to make her way back up to the prison, leaving him to dwell on what she said until she had a sudden thought. Turning slightly she called over her shoulder "Oh and by the way your ass looks nice today" and she winked.


End file.
